


I Want A Scar That Looks Just Like You

by GeneHuntSyndrome



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, BDSM, F/M, FemLoki(Occasionally), Multi, Slow Burn, Switches, Top Darcy, Top Loki, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-04-08 15:16:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 125,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4310133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneHuntSyndrome/pseuds/GeneHuntSyndrome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy ends up taking a job working for Shield, and starts to wonder if her ipod is worth assisting a mental Asgardian prince. And then they start to argue and she realises that she should have asked for Apple shares for all the trouble he’s going to give her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is my first fic ever, so I’d really appreciate any comments or feedback you could give me on my writing. I don’t really know how long this is going to be, or even if I’ll follow it through but I hope so since the idea wouldn’t get out of my head. I’ll update tags and ratings as I go but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna end up at least Mature because it’s Tasertricks and when isn’t it a little bit smutty? ;)  
> The titles from a Kyla la Grange song ‘Vampire Smile’, it just seemed to fit with the kind of relationship they’re going to have. Also I’m English so if anyone spots any blatant Britisisms (like lift for elevator) let me know and I’ll correct it. :D  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own anything.

Darcy Lewis was sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a Shield base just outside of New York. She had been called in, very secretly, for a ‘meeting’. The phrasing in the email and the fact that it was Shield (formerly Shieldra) had made her think she might actually be going to be murdered. So when she turned up and saw Coulson, aka lead commander of the jackbooted thugs, aka son of Coul, it might have been a relief if it hadn’t been so confusing. He had been writing neatly on some papers when she’d been led into his office and once he’d shaken her hand and pointed her to the seat in front of him, he seemed content to just sit there for a moment, assessing her.

“You’ve been selected.” Coulson said finally, giving her the same blank stare he gave everything. The sort of strange combination of boredom, and intense scrutiny that made people very uncomfortable, Darcy included. She waited for him to elaborate, to add to the sentence, but apparently it was her turn to speak.

“I’m guessing it’s not to be the photographer for the next Avengers calendar? Cause while that would be great the no touching rule might become a bit of an issue.” Darcy snarked disappointed when his lip didn’t even twitch.

“It’s for something a little less high profile than that.” Coulson replied “You have the skills that we’re looking for, and given your experience in New Mexico it would be remiss of us not to give you the opportunity.” He finished and Darcy cocked her head to the side, before her eyes widened.

“Your training me as an agent?!” She practically shouted, surprised. She knew she wasn’t stealthy, or particularly brave, or athletic, or even able to run for longer than 30 seconds, but she did have wiles. Feminine wiles. _A_ _re tits enough of a reason to get trained as a spy?_ She thought, and looked down at them. _They **are** pretty great._ She heard a snort, and looked up to see Coulson take control of the laugh that threatened to get a bit hysterical.

“It’s been a long day. I needed that.” He coughed and composed himself, lip twitching again as he looked at her before fixing her with the blank stare again. She would have been cheering that she had just made him show another reaction besides ‘watching paint dry’ but she was pretty insulted. She knew she wasn’t exactly Black Widow level but she could have hidden depths, laughing in her face was kind of harsh. “We need you to be a kind of an assistant.” Darcy cocked her head to the side, confused.

“That’s what I do for Jane.” She replied.

“Well we need you to do it for someone else. Dr. Foster has enough people looking after her.” He said and Darcy snorted.

“You wouldn’t say that if you saw how many times she’s fallen asleep in the lab on a plate of poptarts.” She replied, and Coulson carried on like she hadn’t said anything.

“For a year of work you’ll get a substantial pay increase, free rent in Avengers tower and we’ll pay off your college debt.” She narrowed her eyes at Coulson.

“You mean you’ll pay off the debt for the degree you didn’t even let me finish?” Darcy said, anger seeping through her words.

“Yes, that one.” He said, face blank as ever. After the whole Thor fiasco, when he landed the first time around and his brother went batshit, Shield had been pretty insistent that she never mention her time in New Mexico. Not even to the college board, who sort of required proof that she hadn’t wasted all that time she was meant to be sciencing. Apparently though, a scrunched up hastily written note from Jane didn’t count as ‘evidence’. Okay, it may have had coffee stains on it, and yes a bit of blood too from that time Darcy came up from a science bender and forgot how scissors worked, but everyone knows that real Science! stains. At least that was the argument that ended up with Darcy trying to tase the assessment board and meant she finished her time at Culver with no degree, and a well earned reputation. Doing another term at Culver wasn’t feasible so she’d ended up working for Jane again with just enough money to keep her head above water. She’d followed her to New York as well, once Jane had been offered space in Avengers tower to work with Tony Stark himself. Well ‘for’ as Stark kept on stressing, in big letters, on any contract he could get his hands on. That was fine in theory, but in practise Jane had more than enough assistants helping her and Darcy was starting to feel a bit useless. That feeling wasn’t enough to just jump at the job offer though, she wasn’t stupid and offering that much to a barely trained not even graduate was definitely weird.

“Why would you do that just to get me to take an assistant job?” She stared at his face, watching it for some sort of twitch that might give her more information. Then she remembered she wasn’t some sort of face reading ninja.

“It’s for someone challenging.” He said, barely blinking at the word.

“Janes’ challenging,” She said slowly, “but I didn’t even get a free mug when I moved here.”

“We need someone to act as a mediator between his work on the Bifrost and Dr. Fosters.” Coulson paused, like he was deciding how much information to give her.“The security level you have, and your other skills meant that you were selected for this.” She narrowed her eyes and leant back on the chair, watching him. Something still didn’t add up, those things didn’t really mean anything, people can be trained, people can have their clearance level raised. A sort of worry suddenly slid across her skin. They wouldn’t go to all of this trouble for just anyone.

“Who is it?” Darcy asked, afraid suddenly to hear the answer.

“Loki.” Coulson said casually, like this was the sort of conversation they had every day. For a moment the name didn’t register, and then it did and way her jaw fell open would have been funny if he hadn’t just said Loki.

“Loki.” She said, feeling a bit like this was some sort of elaborate test. _In a way_ , she thought, _being invited here to be murdered would have been better._

“Yes.” Coulson said, nodding, still nonplussed. _Loki,_ she thought, _Thors brother. Mass murdering psychopath who is meant to be on Asgard paying for his mass murdering but is apparently on earth?_

“And he’s here why? “ She asked.

“Part of his punishment is him being here and working on the Bifrost.”He replied, “He needs and assistant.”

“I don’t see how giving him an assistant is punishment. I mean I might not be the best, but I’m not that bad.” Darcy huffed. This whole thing was getting more insulting by the minute.

“Miss Lewis, he has information that can be of great help, his understanding of the Bifrost can help facilitate travel to other worlds. Dr. Foster, with his help, can make transdimensional travel a reality years before she could on her own.” Coulson said all this calmly, like she was the unreasonable one.

“Why me? Why not someone you know, trained in crazy mass murdering gods?”

“He has been difficult with other people.” He said carefully. Darcys’ eyes widened at the statement.

“By difficult you mean?” _Please don’t say murdery, please don’t say murdery._

“Difficult.” He said deflecting, and that, oddly enough, did not make her feel calmer.

“Have they been hurt?” She asked quietly and if Coulson had been a normal human he would have been twitching.

“Not physically.” He replied, after a long pause. She huffed her breath out shakily on a sort of bitter laugh.

“Right, so when you said ‘selected for the job’ you actually meant volunteered as tribute.” _To the gods._ She thought, and part of her laughed while the rest of her hysterically shit herself. “Hold up, you said someone to ‘look after him’. This isn’t some sex thing is it?” _I mean the whole ‘kneel’ thing was hot, but murdering has always been a bit of a turn off for me._ Coulson seemed genuinely shocked for the first time. She could tell this because his eyes widened fractionally and his voice almost went above it’s normal level.

“No.” He said, he leant forward for a second to somehow make even more intense eye contact. “You’ve dealt with Asgardians before, you can keep a secret and frankly we are running out of other options .” _Wow,_ Darcy thought, _way to flatter a girl._

“Well, the Asgardians I’ve dealt with haven’t been murdery, or at least they hid it better and I kept New Mexico a secret because I knew if I didn’t I’d disappear at some point in the night. I wouldn’t exactly call either of those skills.” Darcy said, never not wanting a job more. Coulson sighed.

“We need to try a new approach. You’re very obviously a civilian, and non threatening.” He said, as if her being weak was meant to be a compliment. She looked at him, disbelief on her face.

“I’m pretty sure every humans’ non threatening to a freaking GOD.” She practically shouted.

“Miss Lewis, you have the skills we need for this role and our compensation will be very gener-“

“No,” She said, cutting him off, suddenly very angry that they would ask this of her, of anyone. She stood up, smoothed down her skirt and carried on, her voice going low with her anger. “there is no compensation worth being near that piece of shit besides getting to shoot him when he’s finished being useful.” She turned and made her way to the door. _Stupid jackbooted thugs thinking I’d work with that asshat for some stupid-_

“You’ll get your ipod back.” He said and Darcy froze, hand mid way through turning the door handle. That ipod was the child she had never gotten to know. The meal she had never gotten to eat. The Netflix marathon she had never gotten to start. Three months they had been together before Thor landed and brought Shield to them. Three months of painstakingly updating all of her cds onto that tiny music box. Those thirty songs she had downloaded were literally the only new songs she had ever bought, the rest coming from cheap second hand cds. That ipod was the first new thing she could remember getting in her life. She had saved, and worked, and finally been able to buy one of the older versions new, and if having that ipod in her hand didn’t feel like being a functioning adult then damnit she didn’t know what did. Coulson didn’t know this, the level of devotion that the box had inspired. The fact that the very mention of it made her both angry and sad for the time they should have had together. Play it cool Lewis, she thought, channel the cucumber. Darcy turned to him, her poker face on, practically non-existent eye twitching. Coulson met her eyes, calmly reached into a drawer on the desk and pulled out a box with her ipod in it. The clump it made when he placed it on the table just about covered her restrained squeal. Hopefully. They stared it out for a bit longer, and if there wasn’t an eye twitch before, there definitely was now. He reached for the drawer again and slid two $100 itunes vouchers across the table. She was so close to reaching for her ipod, curling her body around it like Smigel, clutching it close and calling it baby names. It would be so easy to take it, listen to the music and buy that Billy Idol album she’s been eyeing up. Why was she fighting it again? _Oh yeah,_ she suddenly remembered, _psychopathic alien god. It’s pretty difficult to listen to music if you’ve been murdered._ That thought made her reel her hand back in from where it was reaching of the box.

“I’ll have to think about it.” Darcy mumbled slowly, sounding much less torn than she felt as she tried to drag her eyes away from the shiny machine on the table. She finally managed and looked at Coulson. He watched her carefully, and she hated that he had manage to produce the one thing that might make her change her mind.

“The offer ends 8 o’clock tomorrow night.” He said, offering her his number on a card. “Call me before then with your answer.” She reached across hesitantly and took the card, not even saying goodbye as she walked out the door.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Darcy stomped along the sidewalk after starting on a mid-morning coffee run. Jane had started to lag at about ten after a run of bad nights’ sleep. The other lab assistants, Clara and John had been just as bad, they apparently took Janes’ sleep deprivation and malnutrition as an example to follow instead of a live action psa. The meeting with Son of Coul had been replaying in her head since the day before. It was a ridiculous, stupid idea. Darcy moved out of the way of the woman leaving the coffee shop and stepped inside, taking a deep breath in as she joined the end of the large queue. _Bringing that asshat back to earth to what? Read some fucking books all day?_ Darcy harrumphed loudly and the woman in front gave her some side eye, shuffling forwards a bit. What was she really angry about? That he had offered her the job or that she was really thinking about taking it? She let out a small groan of frustration. She had subtly tried to ask Jane about it in the lab earlier, and by subtle she meant cornered her and babbled out the question. Jane had looked at her, her hands had stilled from her fiddling when she registered what Darcy had said.

“How do you know about that?” Jane had asked.

“They’re looking for an assistant. For him.” Darcy replied pointedly, keeping down the anger at the ridiculousness of their ask. Trying to telegraph with her eyes that she needed Jane to tell her not to do this, needed someone else to see the danger in the situation and tell her ipod (and the money) weren’t worth working for that monster. Instead Jane just looked at her and sighed, seeming irritated.

“Well he knows more about the Bifrost than any human ever has or probably will. He’s invaluable, even if he is a murderous bastard.” There was venom in her voice at the end but that change the shock that went through Darcy at her words.“Someone has to assist him.” The way Jane had said it, so straightforward and casual, like that wasn’t a dangerous situation for Darcy, heck, anyone to be in. As if he didn’t have an active hatred for humans or ‘Midgardians’ as Thor called them. Like he hadn’t made his contempt for them clear on the news footage from Germany years ago. It stung, knowing that Jane could trade her out for someone else, that she meant so little that she could offered up to that psychopathic asshole. But Darcy was nothing if not pragmatic, and she recognised that just because she loved and cared for Jane it didn’t mean it would go both ways. So she swallowed the little ball of hurt that had started to make her eyes sting, nodded to Jane and gone on the coffee run. Luckily there was nothing like five minutes on the streets of New York to change any self pity into anger. Darcy came out of her reverie to see that she had finally reached the counter and she gave her order to the stressed looking barista. _Ok_ , she thought, _so they needed someone to help him, and yeah she had some knowledge about the Bifrost but it still didn’t seem to make sense._ Darcy thought about the information they would have on her from New Mexico and London.

Okay, so she had saved that dog in New Mexico, but she doubted saving puppies was really useful when it came to murderous Gods. She almost had a degree in political science, so that was... something? Inter-world relations hadn’t really been covered in any of the semesters. She thought back to the conversation with Coulson, the only real thing reason he’d given her besides general bullshit was that none of the agents would do it and she was their last resort. What on her file would mean that she would be the best person for this? As she thought it over it suddenly clicked, and she wondered why she was surprised that Shield would stoop to that level. She was alone. Her parents had died long ago and a string of foster homes hadn’t left her with any real ties to anyone. She didn’t have a partner, heck she didn’t even have a cat. There was no one to wait for her. No loved one to ask her why she was so stressed, to wonder if she went missing one day. The only real ties she had were to Jane, Erik and maybe Thor, and from the conversation she’d had with Jane today, the Bifrost was worth sacrificing Darcy over. She was a way of trying another method to get him to help but with no real consequences if it didn’t work out. She looked up and took her finished order from the barista, paying him and leaving some money in the tip jar before walking out of the still packed shop. _So I say no,_ Darcy thought as she walked back to the tower. _I say no to the money, and the ipod and I let someone else do this. I let someone else be brave, so I don’t have to._ Her thoughts skittered off for a second and she thought. _I let someone else take that risk_. _Be that person there when he finally snaps. Someone else with a family._ And fuck if that thought didn’t make her hurt a bit. Because if it was a choice between Darcy and someone else, someone with a family and people who would actually miss them, wasn’t it better it was her?

 

 

* * *

 

 

At five to 8 she finally called Coulson. She’s been sitting in the park, fondling her phone all afternoon even though she’d really made the decision hours ago. Maybe she just wanted to make him sweat. Or maybe she was developing that technology fetish the Mr. Murray used to warn her about. She sighed, dialed the number from his card and held on to her breath as it rung for a few seconds before he picked up.

“Agent Coulson.” The low, steady voice said.

“Okay.” Darcy said, suddenly wanting to get it done with, like saying it faster would make her less nervous. “I’ll meet him. This isn’t a yes, but I’ll meet him.” There was a pause, and for a moment she wondered if an introduction might have helped.

“Good.” He said, and then the line went dead. She sighed and rolled her eyes at the phone as she put it away. _Well, that was anticlimactic._ Darcy thought as she got up off of the bench and started walking home. _Maybe it won't be so bad after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thats the first chapter, I don't know if all the chapters are gonna be this long but we'll see how it goes :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I really didn’t expect this much of a reaction from the first chapter! Thank you so much to everyone whose commented and left kudos, its brilliant to read what everyones’ been thinking :D  
> I didn’t expect to update again so soon, but then I didn’t expect such amazing feedback either. I’ve got a busy week coming up but hopefully I’ll be able to get another chapter up before next weekend. Also if anyone wants to Beta I can pay you in eternal gratitude and previewed tasertricks porn, which in some ways is almost as good as actual money.

* * *

 

It was ten o clock the next day and Darcy found herself standing outside a large, heavy door in the depths of Avengers tower. Agent Coulson was next to her and he had sent a message not five minutes after he ended the phone call with a time and location in it. There were two guards stationed outside the door, and Darcy eyed the guns while her foot did some nervous tapping thing on the floor.

“So those guns will stop him right?” She said, eyeing them dubiously.

“Yes” Coulson said after a pause, and Darcy could practically hear the ‘ _we think’_ he left off. She turned to glare at him.

 “But he’s still a God, so super strong and stuff? Whats to stop him from straight up strangling me?”

“He’s learnt not to do that.” Coulson replied smoothly and Darcy raised her eyebrows at him. She could just picture it now – a gold star system for every time he didn’t strangle someone. A snorting noise came out her mouth and she put a hand over it.

“But what about his you know-“ She did a sort of waving flicking thing with her hands since apparently charades were her only reference for the word.

“Magic?” He asked and she touched her nose and pointed at him. “An enchantment has been placed on him so that it cannot be used for harm or to escape.” There seemed to be a pretty big cluster of loopholes in that sentence.

“But he can still do some? What if he like, magics a lion into the room or something? Do I look lion proof?” Hysterical did not quite do justice to the tone of her voice.

“Well, lets’ hope he doesn’t get that creative. ” He said simply, walking towards the door. “Ready?” He asked and one of the guards slid his keycard in and the door opened to reveal a wide conference room. He walked through before waiting for her answer. _Rude_ she thought, walking in behind him. Scanning her eyes around the room she saw there were four chairs spaced around a square metal table, and two more agents by the back wall.

“Darcy Lewis this is Loki.” Coulson said, apparently going for the one name option, like Cher or Beyoncé. Darcy raised her eyes from looking around the room and looked at the god. He was sitting, leaning backwards on the chair, arms across his chest , staring moodily off to the widows. His face was longish, and angular with sharp cheekbones and a firm jaw. Her heart did a double flip thing and she instantly knew she was in trouble.  _Fuck,_ she thought. Because Darcy knew that this feeling, this sudden quickening of her breath and the dilation of her pupils when she looked at him, was a not good thing. This was a very not good thing.  It was such an instant reaction, as soon as her eyes fell on him, for her to try and see as much of him as she could.  His was the sort of face that she could stare at and feel content. Like looking at him made her feel calmer and more tense at the same. His hair was loose and dark, past his shoulders, and his hands were tapping a tense rhythm on the edge on the chair he was sitting on. _It might just be fear,_ she thought, but fear had never made her palms tingle before. It had never made her feel this sort of hunger.  She avoided this feeling whenever she could, this painful lust. She hated that her body reacted to him so instantly but at the same time it didn’t stop her tracing her eyes along his. He was wearing what looked to be black sweatpants and a loose fitting green long sleeved shirt. The way he leant back, one leg resting on the other knee, torso stretched up meant it would be all too easy to slide her hands under that shirt and- Darcy swallowed thickly and looked away. _Is this a God thing?_ She wondered, as her eyes flickered back to him. The biggest reaction she’d ever had to Thor was an intense desire to pour syrup on him and lick it off, but that was a pretty par for the course to most hot people she met. This was something else. This was electricity that made her want to scrape her nails along his cheek and back. That made her want to let him do worse to her. When she finally met his eyes she realised the room was silent and she’d been staring at him, practically dribbling while they waited for her to respond.

“Sup’.” She said quietly, hoping her voice wasn’t as shaken as she felt. Watched as his face turn from annoyance to a sort of confusion and surprise to a sudden clarity. She _felt_ his eyes as they grew more intense and assessed  her, her chest moving slightly too fast to be normal, the flush on her cheeks. A predatory smile slipped onto his face, that self assurance that he knew exactly what he was doing to her. That he knew just how to use her. That stilled her. That slowed her breath, and pushed her lust aside to make room for the anger that seemed to be just below it. She didn’t know what made her more furious, her bodies own betrayal or the way he thought he could use it against her. Because if there was anything Darcy hated more than entitled psychopathic mass murdering gods it was _hot_ entitled psychopathic mass murdering gods who saw their looks as another way to get what they wanted.

 “Lady Lewis, a pleasure to meet you.” Loki’s voice was low and seductive as a smile stretched its way across his face. His green eyes met hers, and she saw his smugness in the way that he relaxed into the chair. Like he knew that she would be just one more person to manipulate.  Darcy ignored him, turned her head straight to Coulson and spoke.

“Shouldn’t he be wearing a muzzle?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Loki still, that smug smile frozen on his face. “I’m sure Thor said something about a muzzle when he was taken before.” At the mention of Thors’ name the smile on his face slipped off completely. Coulsons eyes widened and she could practically feel the guards behind tense with their weapons.

“That isn’t necessary, he’s on his best behaviour.” Coulson replied, recovering quickly.

“Pardon?” Loki said, low and threatening.

“Yeah because it’s not like he’s the God of _Lies_ or anything.” She said sarcastically to Coulson.

“Do not ignore me.” Loki gritted out, his body tense and angry. Darcy sighed and turned to look at him, the way her heart sped up when their eyes met feeding her recklessness.

“Then next time, be more interesting.” In a second he was up, his chair flying backwards with the force of it, hands pressed down on the table as he leaned across at her. Darcy saw the guards in front of her raise their weapons at him.

“Do you want to die or are you just an idiot?” He snarled at her and she bristled, mirroring his position, leaning over the table.

“I could ask you the same thing, you are the one who tried to start an alien invasion in _New fucking York._ On _Avengers fucking tower_ , I mean really? Google only takes a minute.” As close to him as she was now she could practically feel when the anger rippled up his body. She watched the movement and Darcy knew  if he could use his magic she’d be dead by now.

“You will not talk to me like that.” He gritted out, his eyes glaring into hers and goose bumps broke over her skin. If anything she moved closer to him, a small part of her worried at the thrill she was getting from this.

“I will talk to you however I like.” She said, slowly and coolly. “This is America, you’re not a prince here.”  His eyes seemed to be getting, if anything more intense and Darcy briefly worried if that whole ‘Don’t poke the bear’ thing had some merit.

“I do not need to be a prince here to wrap my hands around your neck.” His said, voice low and angry. Darcy suddenly got a flash of what that would be like, her back pressed up against the wall, both of his large hands wrapped around her neck.

“I don’t know how things are done on Asgard, but here on Earth we buy a lady dinner first.” She said before she could stop herself, and if Darcy was known to blush she would have. Instead Loki just looked confused  and even more angry by what she said.

 “So this is my true punishment? The company of this idiot girl?” His voice was wavering with the effort of keeping it under control. His eyes flicked off of hers and turned to Phil for answers. Darcy had been so ready to say no to the job, her attraction to him was enough of a reason to stay away even without the fact he was a massive asshole. She was about to open her mouth to respond when he turned to her. “You think you mean anything to them? You are here because you are dispensable and they are tired of throwing away good people on me.” His words stung, but it was nothing she hadn’t already figured out. Maybe when she had walked in he had thought her attraction to him meant she wouldn’t still be angry, that she would be easy to manipulate. She saw how furious he was, his arms still braced on the table seemingly to stop him from strangling her. She wondered how many people he’d manage to make quit before their first day.

“Ok.” She said, still staring into his eyes, trying not to notice how their breath had started to sync up and the way she was only just keeping her body from moving closer to his. Dragging her eyes away from his she turned to Coulson and straightened up. “I’ll do it.” The agent seemed surprised, but not as surprised as Loki. In one quick move he returned to standing and when she met his eyes again there was a feral hatred that took her breath away.

“You start on Monday.” Coulson said, something like approval on his face  “We better get that paperwork signed.” He gestured to the door and she turned, following him out of the room, ignoring the way she could feel Lokis eyes on her as she left. The door slid shut quietly behind them and there was a loud bang and the sound of a table being overturned behind them. She walked a bit shakily down the hall with Coulson into another room of the tower where the contract was waiting. It wasn’t until she was signing the paperwork– Coulson had sent it for her to proof read the night before, a contract and extensive NDA- that it really hit her what she had just done. _He could have killed me_ she thought and her pen paused on the page as a laugh escaped her. She had just argued with him, a god, a murder god, like it was nothing. Coulson looked over at her and she quickly smothered the laughing, signing the sheet with a shaky hand. Now that she was away from him the adrenaline that she had built was starting to wear off. Coulson watched her carefully as he took the finished document from her. He seemed to contemplate asking for a second and instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out her ipod. With an excited squeal Darcy took it from his hand and started scrolling through the songs. She sighed happily when she saw all of her playlists were still up to date.

“When we picked you, we were hoping for a slightly less..... aggressive approach.” She looked up from her ipod and at Coulson, and the broad smile she had faded slightly.

“Well then you should have picked someone else.” She said popping the headphones into her ears and giving him a half smile. “See you later secret Agentman.” She waved at him and walked out, still feeling a bit shaky and headed for the lifts. When she got off on the ground floor she spotted some fancy seating of to the side of the foyer and plopped herself down on it with a sigh. She started to think over her meeting with Loki and groaned, leaning her head back against the soft sofa. She had never really had that need before, to be so close to something dangerous. It wasn’t just attraction that made her want to be closer to him, it was the fear, that he could hurt her if he liked and there would be next to nothing she could do about it. Darcy didn’t think about the way that _that_ made her stomach clench. Maybe it was the same reaction that had made her kiss Ian the intern after the dark elves in London. Except this feeling was stronger and there hadn’t even been a near death experience. She was deep in thought when a shadow fell over her and she jumped, looking up to see.... _Is that Tony fucking Stark grinning at me?_ He didn’t say anything, just stood there, vibrating with the same sort of nervous energy she had seen him have on TV. He was shorter in real life, and he was wearing an oil stained Metallica t shirt and threadbare jeans. They had never actually met before but apparently that wouldn’t stop him from staring at her. And standing close like close enough to look down her top if he wanted to, and apparently he did. She raised her eyebrows at him, despite her inner fangirling, and cleared her throat. Even famous people didn’t get free passes to stare at her tits. His grin got wider and shrugged unabashedly.

“You’re Darcy Lewis. I’m a fan.” He said and she stared, wondering if this was a normal conversation to him. When she didn’t speak he sort of waved a hand, gesturing to himself. “You know who I am.” She still didn’t really understand what was going on.

“Nrgh?” She said. _Good job Darcy, a bit more work and that might be English._ Luckily he seemed to be used to grunting women and carried on like she’d actually made sense.

“I saw the security footage from your little meeting. Tall and horny looked really pissed off.” He said, the smile on his face even wider than before, and Darcy started to wonder how long it had been since he’d slept. And how long he’d been watching her on the CCTV for.

“He was.” She said slowly and he nodded, looking at her in approval.

“There’s an apartment here, if you want it, free obviously.”

“I know it’s part of my contract.” She said, wondering if she should have triple checked the thing before she signed it with Coulson. Tony waved a hand dismissively.

“Oh, right, the assistant thing...... well have another.”

“Another?” She said incredulously.

“Apartment.” He said, rolling his eyes like she was the odd one.

“What would I do with two apartments?” She honestly didn’t even own enough things to make one look inhabited.

“I don’t know, put in a ball pit or something, I don’t know what you kids like these days.” He finished, waving his hands erratically, and sliding some sunglasses from his pocket on. “Anyway I’m important so I have to go. I just wanted to say, keep up the good work kid.” He gave her a wolfish grin and her tits another seeing to before he  turned sharply and started walking off to the lifts. Darcy sat, feeling confusingly flattered and then decided that she needed coffee before she could even start to process what had just happened.

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy walked into the lab, her coffee in one hand and a tray for the scientists in the other. Dropping her bad on one of the desks she looked around to spot Jane when she saw her  head pop up from where it had been laying on one of the lab benches. Jane sniffed like a mole before turning to Darcy and smiling warmly, a torn sheet of paper literally stuck to her face. Darcy walked over and pulled the sheet off of her face, offering a cup in exchange.  Jane  reached forward and grabbed it, lowering her head to sniff it with reverence while Darcy sat on the bench next to her.

“So I’ll be leaving to start it next Monday.” Darcy said and Janes’ head shot up to actually look at her.

“What?” She said, taking a long sip from the cup before pulling a face at the plastic lid.

“Jane this can’t be that surprising, we spoke about the job yesterday.”  Jane cocked her head at Darcy, confused while she tried to pry the lid off of the coffee.

“Job?” She asked, and Darcy took the cup from her before she tipped it all over herself.

“Lokis’ assistant.” Darcy said, passing the now lidless cup back to her boss.

“Whats that got to do with you?” Jane said, apparently quite slow for a genius.

“Coulson asked me to do it remember, and like you said someones got to be his assistant.” Darcy said, looking down at the memory. When she looked back at Jane she paled suddenly, her face becoming drawn.

“Darcy you’re not thinking of saying yes are you?” Jane said and Darcy frowned at her.

“Jane I’ve already signed the contract,” Darcy said and watched her friend reach an alarming shade of white. She rolled her eyes . “I don’t see what the problem is you didn’t seem to mind yesterday.”

“Thats’ who we were talking about yesterday? I never meant you!” She said frantically, even shooting up from her seat, knocking some of the papers she had been working on to the floor. “I meant it in the general way,” She continued, pacing now. “like when people say ‘someone should really do something about North Korea’. It’s the hypothetical someone, not someone you love or care about, not you Darcy!”

“Oh.” Darcy said, feeling the sadness from yesterdays conversation ease a bit. _Bleurgh feelings, p_ art of her thought while the rest of her was pleased to know that she wasn’t just a coffee gopher to Jane.

“You didn’t think I’d actually want you to do this did you?” Jane said, searching her friends face and now Darcy felt embarrassed. She sort of half shrugged. “It’s not safe and I need you here.”

“Jane I’m bored here and you have more than enough actual scientists to help you.” She said, ignoring the first part of her sentence as she tried to calm Jane.

“What are they paying you? I’ll pay you more.” Jane said, her jaw tilting stubbornly.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about doing something.... more.” Darcy said, and Jane stared at her before sighing understandingly. “On the plus side we’ll be roomies, I get an apartment here in the tower, oh and I met Stark after my meeting with Loki.”

“You were in a room with Loki?” Jane asked, completely ignoring the much more interesting information.

“Yes Jane, I was in a room with him.” Darcy said and watched as Jane frantically checked her over.

“And? How did it go?” The way Janes face creased with worry made Darcy feel guilty for how reckless she had been when she met him.

“It was” _hot_ a part of her thought “intense.” Darcy said. She left out her very physical reaction to being near him, the way that she wanted to slide her hand into his hair and tug.  “Work will be interesting I think.”   _Interesting is an understatement._

“No one else has managed to get anything useful from him, nothing that can help with an Einstein- Rosen bridge anyway.” She looked at Darcy pointedly.

“Right so it’s good that I’m the one assisting him then.” She said cheerily. “Hopefully I’ll annoy him so much that he’ll help you. He’ll be so desperate to get off planet he’ll give over everything he knows.”

“You are very good at annoying people.” Jane teased.

“It is one of my more impressive qualities.” Darcy said, smiling at her friend. Jane smiled back, but there was still worry in her eyes. “Anyway boss, I’ll let you get back to work, I’ll water the other coffee starved scientists..” She wiggled the tray at Jane and went back to her desk, pulling out the headphones. Before she could put them in Jane spoke again.

“Oh, and when you know what day your moving in let me know and I’ll rope Thor in.” Touched, Darcy turned to smile at Jane but she was already back to work. Snorting at her friends attention span she headed towards the other science nerds, headphones in her ears and a wiggle in her step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time : Darcys first day of work, we get to see a bit of Thor and more Loki in sweatpants.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m loving the comments please keep them coming :D  
> I’m pretty sure I’m not gonna be updating this soon again but I’m pretty eager to get more UST so at the moment I’m frantically writing. This one’s pretty tame but for the rest of the series, fair warning; it’s gonna get kinky. I’ve updated the tags and the rating, and I’ll try to put any warnings at the start of the chapter for anything especially rough, but I think it’s pretty clear that all of this (when it finally happens) is gonna be consensual ;) . Also, I don’t practice BDSM but if anyone does and notices any big rookie errors please do let me know and I’ll try to make it more accurate :D

* * *

 

Darcy moved in to the tower on Sunday. With a bit of help from Thor and a ‘borrowed’ van from Stark they had managed to get all of her stuff over in the day. Thor was always good company, which was a good thing since Jane had used the age old excuse of Science! to avoid doing any actual work or even being there. Luckily Thor was equal to about ten humans and the amount he carried was worth all of the pizza she was going to have to feed him. They were in the van, waiting in traffic a few blocks away from the tower when Thor finally got around to the subject they had been dodging all day. Darcy had been trying to explain to him that hot dogs were not made of _actual_ dog, and they were listening to some music when Thor suddenly went quiet.

“Lady Darcy, I wish to speak to you about your appointment working with my brother.” Thor said, face grave as he turned to her.

“Uh, yeah sure, speak away big guy.” She said, feeling a bit nervous. Thor had that affect on people, he was such a happy guy most of the time but sometimes he was so sincere it could get difficult to deal with.

“My brother is.... a challenging person.” _They keep using that word_ she thought, _I do not think that means what they think it means_.“But he was once happy, and mischievous. He may have committed some truly evil acts but I do not believe that he is.” He paused for a second before carrying on. “You are so kind Darcy, and loyal to my Jane. Apart from everything else you are fun, you bring so much joy and if anyone can make my brother more like his old self it is you.  That is part of the reason I recommended you to Son of Coul for this position.”

“What!?”She said in surprise and he smiled at her.

“You are far better at dealing with people than you give yourself credit for. I have seen the way you deal with Jane when she is in ‘Science mode’,” He said and Darcy could practically hear the quote marks. “and you have helped me adjust to life here far better than I could have hoped.”

“So you thank me for this by- offering me a job working for a murderer?” _Maybe rewards are different on_ _Asgard_ she thought.

“I am sure he will not hurt you.” Thor said firmly, and Darcy wondered what he would say if he saw the footage of them together. He looked like he really believed what he was saying though, so she let it go.

“I just, I don’t understand why he’s on earth at all.” She said and Thor nodded understandingly.

“After the Aether I returned to Asgard to find Loki impersonating Odin on the throne. Since his punishment on Asgard was not seen as sufficient, once my father had awoken from the Odinsleep it was decided that he be sent to earth to atone for what he did. He will be allowed to return to Asgard once he has assisted Jane in completing a bridge much like the Bifrost.” He said, and Darcy was finally able to pull the van into the underground entrance to the tower.

“That doesn’t sound like much of a punishment.” Darcy said and Thor smiled wryly.

“Maybe not, and truly I had thought he would have completed it by now, he has knowledge beyond most in Asgard but he has not made any progress in the time he has been here.  Either way, I believe you will be good for him.” He said, a smile on his face as he looked at her. _Not if I shout at him_ she thought, _or fuck him_ a hornier part of her said. “Now, let us get you settled into your new dwelling.” Thor said, cheery once more as he got out to get unpack her stuff.

Jane found them three hours later, sitting in the living room of her new apartment, boxes half unpacked around them. Thor was on his second pizza and Darcy had decided to take a break before the meat sweats kicked in.

“Jane.” Thor said, beaming and pulling her onto his lap. She grabbed a slice of pizza and started eating it before facing Darcy.

“Sorry I’m so late Darce, you know how it is.” Jane said, and then waved her hand as if to say ‘Science!’.

“No worries ex-boss lady. Guess what? Stark actually gave me another apartment,” Darcy said, “It’s down the corridor. What do I need with two apartments?” Jane shrugged as an answer and carried on chewing on the slice. Thor stared up happily at her. Darcy sighed. “Well at least I’m in the same building as you now so we can have more quality bonding like this.” She said sarcastically. Luckily Darcy wasn’t on the same floor as Jane and Thor, because sex between them was not something you wanted to overhear especially when Thors _quiet_ voice was loud enough.

“We can bond some more tonight if you like, there’s mountains of data to put in before I can start my next experiment.” Jane said, an edge of pleading in her voice.

“I start my new job tomorrow.” Darcy said, poking out her tongue.

“Right so technically you’re still mine until midnight?” She asked, and Darcy raised an eyebrow at her. Jane sighed and slumped back on to Thor, who was eating, again.

“Jane, I am more than willing to help if you so-” He started, talking around the pizza.

“No!” Both Jane and Darcy shouted. They both knew what happened when Thor was near computers, static electricity caused some very real problems. He looked for a second, like a very told off puppy.

“I know Thor, why don’t you and Jane go back to your apartment, I’m sure Jane can work in the morning.” Darcy said, and Jane looked at her, betrayed.

“But I have to do that data and -”

“Then you can do it tomorrow.” Darcy said firmly cutting her off. By by this point Thor had already stood up, pizza in hand and had Jane tucked into his arm. “Cheers for the help Thor, see you Jane.” She said, throwing her friend a wink.

“No worries Lady Darcy, and my best wishes for tomorrow.” Thor said, hugging her on their way out. Jane gave her an grumpy look and Darcy hugged her before waving them off and out of the apartment.  When she heard the door click she collapsed back on the sofa, glad that it had come pre-furnished. Especially since it was all Stark fancy, so way nicer than she could afford on her own. She let her eyes drift shut as she lay down. _Best get some rest_ she thought, _tomorrow the real work begins._

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy woke up with her alarm, having slept badly the night before. She got showered and dressed with a little ball of anxiety in her stomach. She swept her eyeliner on and pulled on her beanie, all the while trying not to psyche herself out too much.  She may have comfort eaten some poptarts the night before to calm her nerves but that morning she couldn’t even force down some cereal. She picked up a her thermos and thought for a second before picking up a mug and filling them both with coffee from her (brand new!) machine. Slinging her bag over her shoulder she double checked everything and then walked to the elevator. She had met Jarvis before during mass data dumps in the lab but it was sort of nice knowing she wouldn’t have to worry about keys anymore. It was still weird that he would pretty much be watching her pee though. The five minute commute was something she could definitely get used to, and she ran her new keycard through the lock to get to the labs. Loki’s space was well below the other labs, and it had a guardroom just outside it, with a man and a woman behind a desk there.

“Hey.” She said, waving as she walked over, thinking she should have bought some coffee for them aswell. They nodded back mutely, secret agent style and then ignored her. Suddenly she didn’t feel so bad. The man slid a bracelet over the desk to put on her wrist and she watched it blink as she clipped it on. Coulson had told her about it the other day, if she pressed the small button hidden behind the gem the guards would rush in and- _what?_ _Watch him kill me close up?_ – ‘provide assistance’ Coulson had said. Although he didn’t elaborate. It was designed to be discreet but she didn’t think for a second it would fool Loki. She twiddled it nervously and looked up to the guard.

 “Um, you’ll still come in if you see anything doohickey on the CCTV right?” She asked, and the female guard looked over and answered.

“If you press the panic button, yes.” She said slowly, as if she was explaining it to a child. Darcy bristled a bit.

“What if I can’t push the button?” She replied, and the guard shrugged, the universal ‘thats not my problem’ and turned back to her work. _No wonder no one sticks around for that long_. Darcy thought and then took a deep breath,  because that was exactly the kind of thing that would give her a panic attack before she went in. She picked up the coffee from where  she had rested it and readjusted the bag on her shoulder. As she walked towards the doors and she noticed the braces going across them. _I thought they said he couldn’t try to escape_. She thought briefly before she heard the buzzer and watched them slide open. She walked forwards, a bit shakily, into a large white space. There were several tables across the lab and pages strewn over them. Standing at the edge, in front of an honest to god _blackboard_ was Loki. He looked the same as he had at their meeting, dressed in a loose t shirt and sweat pants. Her reaction to him was the same too, faster heart rate, flushed cheeks, and she took a deep breath before walking in further. _Hopefully he’ll think it’s just fear_. She walked towards him and stopped  at a table a couple of metres away, resting the coffee on it. Neither of them had spoken and the silence was getting more and more tense. She felt bare as his eyes moved over her, taking her in from her boots to the top of her head. His eyes stared pointedly for a second at the bracelet on her wrist before raising his eyes to hers again. Apparently deciding he’s seen all he needed to he turned away, back to her as he faced the board. She let out the breath she’d been holding.

 “I bought you coffee.” She said lamely, deciding not to even bother with a fake smile as she gestured to the cup.

“Why would I want that ridiculous midgardian drink?” He said, disdain in his voice.

“It’s coffee.” She said, because really what more of an explanation did it need?

Darcy looked around the room properly. It was spacious, nearly as nice as the labs upstairs but with less machinery. Instead there were stacks of paper and books in strange languages piled up from the floor. Off of the side she could see another room with what she assumed was his bedroom and bathroom. She poked her head around further and could see into his bedroom. It had a large double bed, a chest of drawers and what looked like _satin sheets_? She was shaking her head in disbelief when she looked up to see him watching her curiously.

“You do not think this is enough punishment.” He said, after a long pause. She widened her eyes, incredulous.

“I think calling this punishment is laughable.”

“I had the whole universe to explore and now I am caged here, with you.” He said, looking down at her again. “Of course, you wouldn’t understand, you’ve probably never even left this country.” Darcy rolled her eyes.

“Alright, I get it- you think you’re better than me.” She said, somehow surprised that she’d just realised this.

“I am better than you.” He said simply.

“Why? Because you’re not human? Newsflash- you’re still an asshole.” She said, watching his face darken.

“I could kill you girl.” He threatened, voice rumbling.

“Darcy.” She said slowly, pointing to her chest and she was satisfied to see a tick in his jaw. “And it would probably be better than watching you stare at a board and sulk.” He gave her a look, one that said ‘I am a god. Gods do not sulk.’ Before turning back to that board. She rolled her eyes again.

“Do you have any notes to share with Jane?” She tried.

“I have nothing to give to Thors’ wench.” He said, offhand and now she was pissed off.

“Dr.Foster.” She grit out, and then forced herself to take a deep breath before speaking again with false cheeriness. “ And no worries, my job is to be in this room for at least four hours a day. I’m sure I can find something to do.” Even though she couldn’t see his face she was pretty sure his jaw twitched again.

 “Stay quiet and out of my way.” And she bit her tongue to stop herself from arguing back because that sort of attitude had always pissed her off. Instead she sat at the table and started sorting out papers. Then she realised it was pretty difficult to sort them out when you couldn’t understand the language. _Fine_ , she thought, huffing,   _I’ll just wait for him to give me some work to do_. She remembered her ipod and fished it out of her bag before pressing the headphones into her ear. She put it on shuffle and carried on watching him, arms folded. Her foot started tapping, she could feel the vibrations travelling up the chair. Suddenly he spun around and  glared at her until, surprised she stopped the tapping. She was going to speak when he whipped his head back. Huffing again she decided to do the next best thing – check him out. She watched him, watched the way he stood, the way he wore those sweatpants. The way they hung slightly off of his hips, she could see the shape of his ass through them, pert and round and _so biteable_ -

“Stop staring at me” He said and she blinked owlishly but didn’t look away.

“Give me work to do.” She countered, still staring at his ass. He didn’t reply.  After a few more minutes  she sighed and dropped her head down to the desk. It wasn’t really any fun if she didn’t have to worry about getting caught. She hadn’t slept too well the night before since she had been nervous about the job, and laying her head on her arms seemed like a pretty good idea. She was still peaking at him from the corner of her eye, and she was sure he knew by the way his shoulders hunched. Looking at him she wouldn’t have expected him to be as dangerous as she knew he was. He seemed so normal, not like some power crazed guy with a _heh_ god-complex. _Does it count as a god complex if he is an actual god?_ She mused, and she let her mind wander for a bit before returning to watch him. Sighing she looked at her phone, not that she actually had reception down there. It had been well over an hour since she arrived, and so far her job consisted of arguing, staring (minor dribbling) and not much else. His job was apparently being tense and staring at a blackboard. Although to be fair, that was what Jane spent about 50% of her time doing so who was she to question Science!? It wasn’t like she didn’t get why he was unhappy - it must be weird having someone come into your personal space even if it was to bring you coffee. It was more that she didn’t really care. If he had wanted personal space he shouldn’t have been such a dickbag and tried to conquer earth. She scanned the room again and her eyes caught on one of the textbooks. It was in a language that she didn’t recognise, definitely not one that you could pick up at the local bookstore. The room was full of them, he obviously got them shipped in, or sent by Bifrost? Would they even survive the journey? Did they have some sort of foreign tax on alien objects? Letting her mind drift off on another tangent she felt her eyes drift shut as she listened to the music. Maybe she could get used to a job like this.

“You can go now.” Loki said a while later, breaking the silence that had filled the room. Darcy blinked blearily from when she had been *cough* resting her eyes *cough* and glanced at her phone to see it was exactly four hours since she had walked in. She smiled a bit, because of course he was going to be that pedantic, and then she deliberately relaxed into the chair, stretching her legs out in front of her.

“I dunno,” She said, reaching forward to pour herself a cup from the thermos. “I think I’ll wait till I have something to take to Jane.” He turned now, from where he had been staring at that fucking board and looked at her, his jaw ticking slightly.

“Then you will be waiting a long time.”

“Well then aren’t I lucky I have such great company?” She said sarcastically. The silence stretched on, as did the tension as he turned to carry on ignoring her to look at that board. After another few minutes she spoke again.

 “Look,” She said, and his head  ticked up before turning to face her. “I’m not quitting, so you’re gonna have to get used to me being here. I was hired for a reason.”

“Besides being dispensable.” He said, and she saw now just how angry he was, how much of a strain it was to keep his voice level. _Fuck you_ she thought _, you are not the only one unhappy with this_.

“I can do things you know.” She said angrily, waving her hands as she spoke. “I can organise data, or sort things or something!” _Use me_ she wanted to say but that stepped a bit too close to a line she didn’t want to cross. He stared at her and then slowly stalked forwards. She tensed but didn’t back away, her heart beating a little faster at the way he prowled. He stopped, close to her and reached around to grab his untouched coffee cup. For a second she thought he was going to drink it and then he straightened his arm out to the side and upended the cold coffee onto the floor. The liquid splattered where it landed and if Darcy could break eye contact she would have seen it hitting her boots. Her mouth was still open when he crushed the mug and let it fall to the floor, the pieces tinkling as they landed.

“Clean that. If you lack work.” He growled, and his body was tight with anger. Darcy stared at him and the challenge in his eyes made something roar in her that normally laid dormant. He demanded her submission in the way he spoke to her, the way he walked, everything about him thrummed with it and there was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to bring him to his knees.  This close to him she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. So she straightened her spine, looked up at him and practically spit out her reply.

“I’m not your servant.” Both of them were breathing heavily now, and she felt her jaw clench as he leaned in closer, face only inches away.

“Then there really is no point to you, is there?” Anger spiked through her and she wanted to lean forward, to sink her teeth into the soft skin of his lip and _make_ him apologise. Instead she pulled back suddenly and watched the surprise on his face as she picked up her bag from where it was resting on the table and walked out. She stormed past the guard desk, and since no-one had stopped her she figured it must have been a normal occurrence.  As she walked toward the elevator she fumed, her body shaking again. Her foot tapped angrily on the floor as she watched it get closer, and then the doors finally opened. She hated that he would feel like he’d won that argument, that he thought she was leaving because she was upset and angry. She hated it nearly as much as the real reason she left. That if she hadn’t she would have done something stupid like kissed him. Or punched him and then kissed him. _Fuck_ she thought, and she leant her head back on the wall of the lift. _This needs to get under control, he’s not the first person you’ve ever wanted_. _This will pass_ , she thought, as she let out a slow breath. _It has to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh I love them arguing almost too much to write anything else.
> 
> Next Time: SMUT!! (Just a little)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m loving all of the comments, and kudos, please keep them coming, it helps with the writers’ block like nothing else. I wanted to get this out before the weekend so sorry if it’s a little rushed. I’m gonna aim to update on Tuesday again but I’ll see how I’m feeling.  
> Okay, so here we get a glimpse of Darcy domming, but have no fear if your firmly on team Top!Loki, he will be matching her in time, but neither one of them is gonna submit easily ;)
> 
> Also can I just say I'm amazed and humbled that this has gotten over 1000 hits and so many kudos, thank you to everyone who's reading and liking it!!

* * *

 

The next day Darcy swiped her keycard and steeled herself before walking in to the labs. The guards had seemed surprised that she was back, and as she walked away she heard their quiet muttering. Inside the lab Loki was standing facing the board again, a book open in one hand. As she walked in he turned, and his gaze was intense on her, something like surprise on his face before it was wiped clean. She could see her thermos where she left it on the table, and picked it up as she walked past.  She stopped at the crushed up mug still lying on the floor, fine dust between the larger chucks. The coffee had dried under it, leaving a large brown stain then seemed to have spread further than she thought possible. _What a waste_ she thought as she stepped over it. There was no way she was going to clean up that mess.

“Morning.” She said, and he looked at her blankly. They stared each other out for a second, his face betraying no emotion and then he pointed to the table in front of her. There was a page of notes laying there.

“They are to go to that Foster woman. You can leave.” He said, voice brusque.

“Dr.Foster.” She corrected automatically, surprised that he’d actually given her something to take. “And I have to be here for at least five and a half hours today because _someone_ used magic to change the time on my phone.” She said, looking at him pointedly. Storming out an hour and a half before she was meant to was nearly as embarrassing as knowing she was caught on camera napping. His lip quirked, and she wasn’t sure if it was amusement or frustration.

“Magic isn’t required  when your pass code is 1234.” He said, and yeah ok, that was on her. She had always been of the school of thought that it was so obvious it _wasn’t_ obvious. Coughing a bit to hide her embarrassment she put her bag down on the desk she was at yesterday.

“Yeah well, I still have to make that time up so jokes on you.” She replied and Loki raised an eyebrow at her.

“Come in when I’m not here then.” He said and she stared at him.

“You’re imprisoned, you’re always here.”

“For you my dear, I can make myself scarce.” He replied dryly, and then turned back to the board. Something in her bristled at the endearment but she ignored it and focussed on the board instead. Today there was something new written on it, still in a language she couldn’t understand. The idea of being in the room without him was tempting, but Darcy was pretty sure Coulson wouldn’t accept ‘he asked me to’ as a valid reason.

“And miss out on this?” She said sarcastically. Leaning back she picked up the notes for Jane and read them once before double checking again. “I might not be a scientist, but this looks like a recipe for soup.” She said, incredulous. He didn’t even turn from his vigil at the board.

“You’re right,” He said,  “you’re not a scientist.” A spike of annoyance went through her. She looked down on the page again, and despite some words being in another language, it was definitely a recipe for something, and Darcy really doubted you could cook up an Einstein-Rosen bridge.  She opened her mouth to say something, to argue and then clamped it firmly shut.  When she had first seen the contract four hours had seemed like a doddle- but working for Loki made her realise the extra time was to recover from being around him. Even once she had gotten home yesterday and sat down, her heart had been beating fast and there was anger running through her. She had no doubt he intended to get her to quit and something stubborn in her refused to give him the satisfaction. Today she was better prepared. She had bought a book with her, and her ipod was fully charged and updated with her favourite songs. If he wanted a stalemate, he would get one.

The next four hours dragged on longer than Darcy would have thought possible. The book was good, but she still found him distracting to be around. His back was all lean and muscley and when he occasionally reached for a book or wiped the board she could see his muscles move under his shirt. As much as she wanted to turn her back to him so she wouldn’t be tempted to stare, a primal part of her warned her against turning her back to something so dangerous. She settled down and carried on with the book. Just before hour five she noticed the bracelet on his ankle. It was a silver metal and wrapped just above his bare foot. For a second she thought it was some sort of Asgardian jewellery but then she realised it was how they were keeping him in the base. _There must be some sort of magic in the bracelet that means he can’t leave._ She thought, and started to wonder how all of that stuff worked, how it knew where he was, where he could go. Her mind wandered for a bit and the last half an hour went surprisingly quickly. When she looked up to find him staring at her expectantly she realised her time was up. Part of her wanted to stay, to annoy him more, but the rest of her was starving and she had left over pizza from last night to eat. She packed up quickly, after checking her phone and then left the lab. And if she checked asked the guards for the time on the way out to make sure, who could blame her?

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

On Wednesday the notes were illegible. Like worse than the family doctor illegible,  when she finally started to get a handle on the letters, the way they twisted and bent, she realised it was the same goddamn recipe as the day before. She said as much to him and he just stayed staring at the board before turning, almost a sincere look on his face.

“It is really good soup.” He said, and despite herself she felt her lip twitch. And then she remembered that she had literally spent the last forty five minutes writing out a recipe for soup. She took a few deep breaths before reaching out her bag and pulling out her knitting needles and yarn. She had already started so she just picked up where she left off, and soon the noise of her needles filled the room. Loki tensed, and turned to glare at her, which she ignored.

“What are you doing?” He growled.

“Knitting.” She said, not stopping the movement. The _duh_ was implied.

“Why?” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose, and she felt the small thrill that she got whenever she pissed him off run through her.

“Thor needs a beanie.” At the mention of his brothers’ name he flinched, and she enjoyed the pained look on his face. “It’s going to look like a Viking helmet.” She said, holding up the grey wool. “I’ll make you one if you ask nicely.”  

“If I wanted to look like I had a bilgesnipes rump on my head I would hunt one myself.” He said.

“And if you wanted to offend me, at least use an insult I understand.”

“But then I would have nothing to insult you with.” He replied sweetly and she wanted to pull a face at him so badly.  Instead she blinked, making her face as emotionless as she could and was satisfied when he bristled before turning back to the board. If there was anything that seemed to piss him off more than noises in the lab, it was lack of reaction to his insults. Darcy turned back to her knitting, and the next few hours passed surprisingly easily. After her hands started to get tired she put the now finished main body of the hat down and stretched her fingers out.  The gunmetal grey beanie looked good, she wasn’t quite sure on the size of Thors head so had guessed that bigger was better. She turned, reaching for her phone behind her to take a photo. When she turned back the hat was green.

“Why is the hat green?” She asked, surprised at the calm in her voice.

“It is a much better colour.” Loki replied.

“If I had wanted it green, I would have used green wool.” She said, a tick in her voice.

“Didn’t you?” He asked and she looked at the rest of the yarn to see it was indeed, leprechaun green now.

“You don’t _have_ to be a dick you know.” She said, surprised by her sudden anger. He turned to her, eyebrows raised but anger in his eyes.

“But it’s so much fun.” He said, eyes cold. Her heart started to beat a little faster.

“Fuck you, you do not get to do whatever you want.” Darcy replied.

“I am a god.” He said angrily, as if that gave him any right at all.

“You are a prisoner.” She corrected, and watched his eyes darken.

“And you? You are meaningless.” Loki said, venom in his voice.

“You’ve said that already, try again.” She spit back ad his jaw ticked.

“I would kill you if I could.” She looked at him and believed it. They were growling now, and somehow this was more intense that if they had been shouting. At some point he had crossed the room. They were nearly nose to nose and her skin tingled where she was near him.

“But you can’t.” She reminded him.

“Maybe I should try anyway.” He threatened.

“Maybe you should.” She said, challenging him although her heart was painfully fast. Fear was making her reckless.  They were so close it would have been nothing for her to lean forward and kiss him. He jerked backwards suddenly, and Darcy blinked, surprised when he walked out into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. She slumped back on the chair, anger running through her as she packed up her bag to leave. Then she checked her phone and realised she still had half an hour left to go. Groaning she sat down on the chair and tried not to replay the conversation over in her head. Half an hour later she was still fuming and when she left, she tried to make a promise to herself. _Tomorrow_ , she thought, as she walked out, avoiding that crumbled mug on the floor. _Tomorrow I will not give him the satisfaction_.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Thursday there was a snake on the page. She had picked up the sheet as she walked in, giving her usual ‘Morning’ and skirting the broken coffee cup on the floor. Loki, as usual, ignored her although he was slightly less frosty than she expected. The fact that she could now rate how annoyed he was from body language alone scared her a little, She had gotten in a little late that morning, she normally liked to start at 8 so she was done by 12 but that day she’d slept in a little bit longer. Sitting on the chair, she was shocked to see actual legible words on the sheet. There were three lines of perfect calligraphy, and what could actually be scientific words. She started reading through them, her lips moving as she did so. She stopped halfway through, as something caught her eye on the page, a slight movement in the corner. When nothing more happened she carried on reading, saying the words quietly to herself. As she finished the words started to move in a line around the page. They slunk up and around, getting quicker and quicker as they started to glow in gold. What the fuck she thought. And maybe it was the fact that she’d slept on, or because she hadn’t had her morning cup yet but she didn’t do the logical thing and throw the page as far away from her as possible. No, instead she stared closer, watching as the words blurred, becoming a thick long line of gold. The place where the first letter would be the line turned, and suddenly the image was 3d and a head of a motherfucking snake was facing her on the page. It gave a hiss and before Darcy could so much as scream it sprung forward, out of the page, knocking her onto the floor. It hissed, making its way up her chest before rearing back as if about to strike. _I’m actually going to die_. Then, there was a poof and suddenly it was gone. Darcy was lying on her back on the floor, chest heaving as she wondered what the fuck just happened. She stood up, shakily, still in shock and turned to Loki.

“What the actual fuck?!” She shouted at him, heart still beating fast.

“Did you say something?” He asked, turning to look at her, his face masked with polite indifference.

“Snake.” She said unable to get anything else out with her teeth clenched as they were. She furiously waved the blank sheet at him.

“Ah, that’s where that spell sheet got to. The notes for Foster are on the desk over here.” He said blandly.

“You just happened to have left an spell with a snake throwing curse on it, where you normally put the sheet for Jane?” She asked, glaring at him and his lip twitched slightly.

“Oops?” He said, the question mark very audible, not looking sorry at all.

“Oops.” She repeated, deadpan. Her body was practically shaking with the need to take him down, to make him see that he couldn’t treat people this way. She had had enough of his attitude, of him being a douche, of his stupid attractive face and the way he made her want to sit on it. _Wow._ She thought. _That escalated quickly_. She took a breath, grabbed her phone and walked out of the room, not saying anything as she left. She just needed five minutes to not be near him, to not have all of her thoughts clouded by him. She walked out, storming past the guard room before turning back to them and stomping up to the desk. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” She said, and the two guards on duty looked taken aback. “I get attacked by a magical snake, and you don’t so much as poke your head around the door?” The guards exchanged a look before the bloke Chris spoke up.

“We were watching the cctv the whole time, nothing attacked you.” He said this slowly, like she was a child.

“You’re wrong.” She said, menace in her words.

“No we’re not.” The woman guard Melinda said, and she pushed the screen round so Darcy could see it, and she re-winded the last thirty minutes. She was right, the whole time it was just Darcy sitting there while Loki stared at that board. No snake, no argument, not even a hint of UST, nothing for the last thirty minutes. Confused, Darcy looked at the image closer. It seemed so real, she was shuffling on the screen, her mannerisms exactly right, but obviously that wasn’t what happened. And she was sure she didn’t look that derpy in real life.

“My mistake.” She said slowly, and she turned back to the lab, determined to sort this out. _Why would he want the cameras off? She_ thought as she slowly walked back to the labs. _All he does is stand at that fucking board all day. Or maybe, that’s only when you’re there._ Darcy got a sudden image of him practicing illicit spice girls routines when no-one was around and her hysterical laughter when she opened the door made him whip his head around. He looked confused and that only made her smile more before she sobered up.

“You’re blocking the cctv.” She said, and he blinked once, wide innocent eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said and she raised an eyebrow at him disbelievingly. When it was obvious he wasn't gonna say anymore she pulled out the knitting,with a fresh ball of grey yarn and stared at him, deliberately making as much noise as she could. His jaw ticked again but obviously he'd decided he'd had enough of being a dick today because he didn't say anything. She didn’t know what it was about him that made her want to piss him off. To see him get angry. She had never been one for being particularly stubborn but with him she knew that giving in wasn’t an option she would consider. When her time was up she stayed an extra twenty minutes to finish the hat, smiling to herself as she felt him get more and more tense. Just when she thought he was going to snap she finished, packed up and left with a whistle and a spring in her step. Pissing him off was starting to become oddly therapeutic.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

On Friday, she arrived to find another sheet waiting on her desk, but this time she wasn’t so eager to pick it up.

“Is this the sheet for Dr.Foster.” She asked, keeping some distance. He just nodded, this time writing something down on a piece of paper. She moved over and cautiously paused a pen to turn it round so she could read it. Determined not to even mouth the words in case it triggered something.

“This isn’t English.” She said, confused as she read the lines of text. He made a noise that might have been a snort if she had thought he ever found anything funny.

“And you say you’re not a scientist?” He asked sarcastically. She poked her tongue out at his back.

“Jane won’t be able to read them, she doesn’t speak..... is this Cyrillic? And is that Korean?” She said, looking at the strange shapes on the page.

“Then perhaps you had better translate them, with all this free time you have.” He said, his voice clipped and she rolled her eyes. “Quietly.” He said, and she grit her teeth. Sitting down, she reached for her phone and started trying to decipher the text. She had thought it would be easy, she downloaded a translation app on her phone as she listened to music and drunk her coffee. The app was helpful, but the once it had all been translated it still didn’t make much sense, the format of the languages didn’t translate well over, not to mention the phrasing was odd to read. It was strange, like a puzzle waiting to be solved and she hated to say it, but she was sort of enjoying herself. Humming a little to herself she leaned forward to read the translation closer, pen twiddling between her fingers. Once she got about halfway she read what she had done so far. There was something familiar about the words, the way they sounded. Darcy suddenly burst out laughing, the sound filling the whole room as she realised what he’d done. She was laughing hard now and looked up to see Loki staring at her, open surprise on his face.

“I didn’t take you for a Shakespeare fan, although I guess with the accent.” She said, smiling widely now. Shakespeares’ Sonnet 130 was translated, each line a different language on the sheet. “It was always one of my favourites.” She said, and he still seemed frozen to the spot. He shook himself, and looked at her, head tilted slightly like she was something curious to study. Her smile faded and she suddenly felt nervous under his scrutiny but kept eye contact as he watched her. Then he sighed, and she saw the moment he realised she wasn’t just going to quit. That his games wouldn’t work to get rid of her.

“I need those books sorted by language.” He said, gesturing to a large pile of books to the left of her. Surprised, Darcy just blinked at him. He was giving her work to do? “Today would be nice.” He said shortly before turning back again and she hated how excited she was by the thought of having something decent to do. She smiled widely and started on the pile, headphones in and mood up. Three hours later, the books had been sorted as well as she could since she couldn’t read the languages and her back was aching but she had that familiar feeling of pride in her work. It was stupid, but it was nice to actually do something instead of wasting time till she could go home. She stopped, and realised she hadn’t written her report on Loki for the week. She thought back on the day, and the week and realised that today had been pretty good. They hadn’t shouted at each other all day, which was a win in Darcys’ book, and her desire to make him suffer was at a lower level than usual. She was meant to send a report to Coulson weekly, summarising any progress they’d made on the bridge and any notes to give to Jane. There were obviously none, but she included the soup recipe just in case he was feeling peckish, Asgardian ingredients and all.

She left out the snake incident, since there was no back up on the cctv and she’d had quite enough of looking like she can’t do her job. Part way through she looked over to check on Loki.  He was sitting, reading a book this time, hair over his face as traced the words. He was wearing the same top and sweatpants as usual – some sort of inmate uniform no doubt, and his green eyes shone even from across the room. As if he could feel her he looked up, those green eyes meeting hers. She got the same rush as usual, the increased heart rate, the dry mouth, but it wasn’t any worse than before. _This is manageable_ , she thought. _It might not ever go, but it doesn’t mean anything._ She dragged her eyes away, and returned to the report, a sort of calm settling in her as she carried on. She felt when his eyes went back to his book a few minutes later, and wondered how she could feel so cold when they weren’t watching her. When her time was up she stood up and packed her laptop away. He looked up from the book he had been reading, surprise on his face.

“Thats me done, see you Monday boss.” She said, packing up her bag and thermos as she walked towards the exit. As she turned back to look at him she watched his eyes darken a bit before they returned to the book. _Weird_ she thought, but she wasn’t gonna let that get her down. She had an afternoon to enjoy and a Netflix marathon to start.

 

* * *

 

 

_Darcys’ hands were gripping the headboard, her legs spread, knees either side of soft black hair. She was rolling her hips slowly, breathing hard. Low moans moved through her as she rubbed herself on him. His arms were tied above his head, his hands gripping the rope as he moved his head between her thighs. His licks were gentle, soft against her lips until she reached down and tugged hard at his hair. She was moving faster now, his tongue grew more firmer, dipping into her before centering over her clit.  She was close, and he started to suck harder on her clit as she rode his face. Darcy gasped, and felt herself come as she ground down onto him. Moaning lowly she felt the orgasm rush through her, his lips clamped around the nub, before stuttering out  as she braced herself forwards. Still panting slightly she rolled off of him, taking a moment to catch her breath. She turned to see him facing her, wearing a smug smile. His pupils were wide, and he looked so good, lips covered in her, want written all over his face. She smiled back at him, and noticed his cock standing tall, precum dribbling down the sides. Rolling back onto him, a feral grin on her face, she reached back and gripped him hard. He groaned, and Darcys smile got wider as she squeezed him tighter, the girth of him filling her hand._

_“Hush now,” She said, leaning forward to bite his bottom lip briefly. “lets’ see how long you last before I have to get the gag back out.”_

 

Darcy shot up from bed, breathing hard, one hand clutching the blankets around her. She was sweaty and her skin felt too hot where it was touching the covers.  _Fuck_ she thought. _This is the opposite of manageable._ Because that had not been some faceless sex dream, that had been Loki, and fuck if the thought of him tied down for her didn’t make her wetter. She groaned and rolled over, ignoring the ache between her thighs as she tried to go back to sleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop, smut finally :D  
> Next Time: Probably more smut, heart to heart Thor and Loki and Darcy actually might like each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I really have no idea how this chapter became so difficult to write but it was a pain in the arse. But here it is, and now, I can finally move on to some more smut and Loki/Darcy snark. I just felt like there had to be at least a hint of why Darcy would ever sleep (even though he’s hot), she’s seen what a bastard he’s been and it’s always seemed a bit unrealistic to me that she’d just drop all the issues she had with that because she wants the D. But hey, I’d probably drop trou at the sight of Tom Hiddleston so who am I to judge? 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos, you have no idea how much they kept me going when I was struggling with this, I’m never gonna abandon it but it really helps knowing that I’m not just doing this for me :D

* * *

 

 

Saturday morning, Darcy had woken up to a brain still full of the feeling of Lokis’ head between her legs. While that wasn’t unpleasant itself, it was still jarring enough for her to decide that vigorous swimming would help. An hour later, she headed back from the resident pool in the tower feeling a bit more exhausted but not that much calmer. On her way upstairs Darcy realised that she had a whole second apartment to explore. She asked Jarvis where it was, she still hadn’t visited it yet,  and then went back into her first apartment – _how weird did that sound?_ – to change before heading out to the next door along. Jarvis let her in, and she realised the layout was exactly the same as hers. You entered into a kitchen/lounge area  and off to the side she could see a bedroom and bathroom. Of course, all that was past the ball pit. From the edge of the counter in the kitchen the room was covered in layers of gold and red plastic shiny balls. There were steps leading up to the edge of it, and she could see an inflatable lilo laying in the middle of it. Open mouthed, Darcy walked up the steps and set her foot down into it, feeling herself sink in. For a moment she wondered if it might be deep enough to drown in, if that was even possible, and then her foot met the floor. The balls were now up to above boob height, which while not that tall for non-hobbits was pretty tall for a ball pit. _This is pretty deep_ she thought, _balls-deep_ and then she snorted, because seriously? She was actually hilarious.

Darcy turned slowly, watching the sea of colourful plastic ripple around her as she waded up to the lilo. After a brief (five minute long) struggle with the inflatable, she was lying on top of it, feeling a disproportionate amount of pride. Taking a fortifying breath, Darcy decided to let herself think about the thing she had been putting off all morning. She figured that the ball pit was both un-sexy enough to diffuse the sex-dream, but also relaxing enough that if she got angry she could flop into it and flail as needed.  Closing her eyes, she thought about the dream. Sex dreams were not a new thing for Darcy. Heck, topping people wasn’t even new for her. Darcy had always been a firm believer that sex should be fun, so she took every opportunity it offered that shehad  liked the look over. Including domming the occasional friend with benefits  from college. So that wasn’t even the bit about the dream that was throwing her. It was him. It was that even though she knew what he’d done, seen how his mind-fucking had hurt Erik and Thor and Jane and everyone, she still wanted him, and it wasn’t going away. Darcy knew that he wasn’t a good person, but apparently her libido and vagina didn’t care about that. All they cared about was the intensity in his eyes, and how his lean body would look stretched out under her. Groaning again at the image Darcy rolled off of the lilo into the ball pit, the plastic swishing as she landed. Darcy started making snow angels – _ball angels?_ – and tried not to smother herself in the plastic. She knew she had to return the apartment, even if it was a ball pit, but for then she let it calm her, and she put all thoughts of work out of her head, laying back on the inflatable as she drifted off to sleep, determined not to let work (Loki) get to her again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Of course, at six o’clock the next evening, it wasn’t working out so well. Darcy was sitting on the sofa in her apartment, a bowl of popcorn on her lap as she watched some crappy sci-fi film on tv. Coulson had text her earlier about a meeting Loki had in Janes lab on Monday, that Darcy had to go to. And of course, it didn’t take time off of her four hours a day (and yeah she knew how spoilt that sounded but give a girl a break). So she was sitting, brooding, when Thor walked in with a warm smile and sat down on the sofa next to her. It wasn’t unusual for him to seek Darcy out when Jane was otherwise occupied with Science! and he was a ridiculously good cuddler, but seeing him then just reminded her of what she was trying to forget. Thor seemed to notice something was off, and after taking a giant handful of popcorn, he turned to her with a frown on his face.

“Lady Darcy, what is it that has you so distressed?” Or at least that was what she could make out through the mouthful of popcorn.  She thought about lying for a second, and then spoke.

“Your brother.” Darcy growled out, sinking further into the sofa while attempting to hold the popcorn out of his reach.  He grabbed another handful anyway.

“You are not enjoying your time working with him?” He asked and Darcy looked at him incredulously.

“He’s arrogant, argumentative, stubborn and....” _ridiculously attractive_ “ rude.” She finished, and Thor sighed sadly before speaking.

“He was not always so. Loki before was kind, he has always had a front, to protect himself, but it has never been quite so...” Thor paused for a second, trying to find the word. “antagonistic before.”

“You wouldn’t call trying to take over earth antagonistic?” She asked, eyebrow raised and Thor tilted his head, conceding her point.

“That was different, that had a direction, an aim beyond himself. The way he pushes people now, the way he fights. This is just hurting to get hurt.” Darcy thought about that for a moment, confused.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Darcy asked, confused. Thor paused, and looked at her for a second before coming to some kind of decision and speaking.

“When our mother died, he blamed himself. It was not his fault of course, but Loki sees things differently." Thor paused, considering his next words. "He might be the god of Lies, but he saves the worst for himself.”

“Oh.” She said, and feeling like a dick. Jane hadn’t told her much about what had happened on Asgard, but Darcy knew that Thor had come back sadder. She suddenly saw the whole aftermath of the attempted invasion another way. Thor had always been good at that – subtly pointing out another side to the story you were so set on, but without making you feel like shit for not seeing it. Darcy thought back at Loki, all that anger held in him, those sharp words, and wondered if that was the shape his grief had taken. Darcy pushed the wave of sorrow she felt for him aside. It was one thing to want him, a whole to start seeing him as someone to care about.

“He always was arrogant though, even as a young boy.” Thor admitted, and she turned to watch him as a fond chuckle escaped his lips. “That reminds me, Jane tells me you have been jesting with one another.” His eyes lighting up as a smile split his face. Darcy thought for a second over what she had told Jane, and what jesting meant before understanding what he said.

“He threw a snake at me.” Darcy said incredulously. “At my face.”

“Ah yes, he used to do that to me also.” Thor said, a sad tinged but fond smile on his lips. He swung an arm around Darcy as they lent on the sofa and she snuggled back into him as they watched the film. There was just the film for a few minutes and then Darcy spoke, her quiet voice turning Thors’ head.

“Are you going to the meeting tomorrow?” She asked, watching his eyes as they dimmed. He seemed so sad suddenly that she wished she hadn’t asked the question.

“I do not think that would help relations with my brother.” He said and she felt her heart ache for the relationship he’d lost. He clearly loved Loki, even if Darcy couldn’t understand why, she still got that it hurt him to be on bad terms.

“Do you miss him?” She asked.

“He is my brother.” Thor said simply, and Darcy supposed that if she had any siblings she’d be able to understand everything that meant. As it was, she remembered the brightness in his eyes when he spoke of Loki, the obvious love that there was between them, and was glad that she didn’t have anyone close enough to lose.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The lab was unnaturally full of people. In the good old days when Darcy used to work there (a week and a bit ago) there was only ever her, Jane and the lab minions she ordered round. Walking into the lab on Monday, Darcy could see at least four new people, and that wasn’t counting the two armed guards outside. Three of them had some sort of weapon that she could see  and there  was a man with messy brown hair and glasses in a lab coat. Darcy stood in a free space by the side and finally looked at Loki. He was standing, leaning against one of the lab tables, looking bored. As soon as her eyes fixed on him she got a flashback to the dream and fuck if it didn’t make her skin flush a bit. Darcy looked away, but her traitor eyes went back to him again. _You have to get over this_. She thought. _The dream doesn’t change anything._  She tried not to think about what Thor said, because it was heartbreaking to think that it was all just a front he put up. Instead she noticed he was in the same sweatpants and t-shirt and seriously? Did someone have to wash those? Was that an actual job? God-launderer? She zoned out for a moment and when she came too she realised she’d been staring heartily at him and he was now staring back.  His eyes were dark and the look on his face was intense, somewhere between anger and something she couldn’t name. Feeling a chill up her spine Darcy resisted the temptation to pull a face at him and  turned, just in time to see Tony Stark walking in. He swaggered over to her, a leery grin on his face as he gave her a once over.

“Lewis.” He said, taking his sunglasses off and giving her a smirk at her raised eyebrow.

“Stark.” She replied.

“I came to watch the show, I have bets on how long he’ll last before he tries to rip someones face off.” He said this casually, but he was watching Loki with a hardness around his eyes that Darcy was surprised to see. She wondered if he had the suit with him.

“I don’t need two apartments.” She said suddenly, regret in her voice.

“Of course you don’t. But this is one apartment, and one ball pit.” He pointed out and she rolled her eyes at him.

“Well I don’t need that either.” She replied and Stark sniffed at her.

“Kids these days, don’t appreciate anything.” He said, shaking his head at her.

“Wow, I suddenly realised you’re like fifty.” She said and Starks’ mouth dropped to the floor.

“What?!” He half shrieked. “Do I look fifty?.” He demanded. Darcy hid a smile and did a hand gesture that roughly translated as ‘kind-of’. He frowned and sniffed at her again, and seriously? Did he actually have allergies? “You fell asleep on your first day.” Tony grumbled, obviously trying to get her back  and she was not in the slightest bit surprised that he’d got the footage.

“I was lulling him into a false sense of security.” She said, turning her head haughtily. Tony gave her an sceptical eyebrow raise and hummed slightly.

“Because he’s the one who should feel afraid right?” And ok, he did have a good argument there. She was gonna point out that she had tased Thor, but he spoke again. “You’re not dead though, so I guess it wasn’t the worst idea.”

“Thankyou.” She said, and worried idly that not dying was an achievement in her job. She felt a prickling on her neck and turned to find Loki watching her again. One of the scientists was trying to talk to him and he looked at them once, intensely, and it sent him scattering. Immediately he turned back to Darcy with the same gaze and she felt Stark shift next to her.

“Does he always look at you like that?” Stark said, something like awe in his voice.

“Like he’s trying to blow up my brain with his mind? Yeah.” Darcy replied, then suddenly worried that that might be exactly what he was trying to do she turned, spotted Jane and went over to her.

“Jane hey!” She called out, hugging Jane when she got close enough.

“Hey Darcy.” Jane said, a weary smile on her face as she pulled back.

“Hows it going?” Darcy asked, although from the stress levels coming off of Jane she already knew.

“He’s being a dick.” She said, pointing to the broody god they were both ignoring.

“Sounds about right. What did you need him here for anyway?”

 “We’re trying to get him to help us with some of our machines, we can’t get any readings at all and we think he might know what sort of calibration it needs.”

“They have machines like this on Asgard?” Darcy asked, confused.

“No, but Thor seems to think he understands more than he lets on.”

“Ah, ok, and I guess he’s being the fountain of knowledge you need right?” She said sarcastically. Jane just sighed.

“How do you work with him?”

“Not very well.” Darcy admitted, a half smile on her face.

“Can you help?” Jane asked, and Darcy had always been a sucker for anything she needed. Darcy got why Jane was so tired, Loki had the information they needed, he was just too much of an arse not to give it up. She really didn’t want to go over to him, but she knew if she didn’t everyone would keep tiptoeing around him. She girded her loins, drew herself up and walked straight up to him.

“Help them.” She said, because sometimes manners were overrated. Loki didn’t even lift his head from where he was looking at his nails.

“Good morning.” He said slowly. Darcy sighed, because she really didn’t need this to be one of those days, especially with that dream making his disobedience so tempting.

“Morning. Help them.” She said again, and he turned so he was looking at her with those strong green eyes.

“I cannot.” He said, and she almost would have thought it was with regret if she didn’t know him better.

“Can’t or won’t?” She said, and he sighed.

“Does it matter?” He asked lazily, looking away again and waving a hand as if to dismiss her. She ignored that, and instead let out a long sigh through her nose.

“Help them.” She said through gritted teeth, and he turned fully to her then. His eyes traced her face, and she saw the moment when he realised just how much this was pissing her off. Amusement trickled into his eyes and he looked down at her.

“I don’t think I will.” He said, and Darcy closed her eyes and took a breath. This only seemed to amuse him more.

“The sooner you help them,” She said slowly, as if explaining it to a child. “ the sooner we can go.” He crooked his head to the side, considering for a moment before he leaned forwards into her personal space.

“Eager to be alone with me?” He asked, and her heart sped up a little, because she had forgotten that if he wanted to be, he could be quite fucking sexy.

“Hardly.” She said, her voice more sure than she felt. “This doesn’t come off of my four hours for today. The sooner we’re back, the sooner I can leave. So hurry the fuck up.” And then, because she couldn’t resist, she leant forwards a little, licking her lips and looking up through her eyelashes at him. “Unless you want to spend even more time together?” Loki looked thrown for a second, his eyes dipping down to her mouth briefly before meeting hers. He held her gaze for a long moment, and his tongue dipped out from behind his teeth to brush his lip. He leaned forward again, and her heart started pounding faster. His face was close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek when he spoke.

“Hardly.” He parroted back to her, and pulled away. Loki turned and walked over to the machine the scientists were gathered around, leaving Darcy feeling slightly out of breath. She watched him lean over the machine, type something on the keyboard while Jane watched with confusion. After pressing a few more keys Janes face turned to one of surprise and then excitement and Darcy figured he was probably helping them instead of making the machine somehow murder them all. She jumped when Stark appeared next to her and spoke.

“How did you get him to help?” He asked, as they both watch Loki return to looking both bored and annoyed at the same time as the baby scientists fangirled around him.

“He hates me. He’ll do pretty much anything I ask as long as it means I spend less time with him.” Darcy said, still trying to recover.

“That didn’t look like hatred to me.” He said, looking pointedly at her, and Darcy tried not to think about that too much.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit more excited about the next chapters so hopefully I’ll have a bit more motivation to write them, smut seems to be much easier for me than everything else so fingers crossed :D.  
> Next Time: More arguing, general UST on all sides.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the kind words, views, comments and kudo I don’t know how I got so lucky with you guys <3 
> 
> Anyway, sappy stuff over with, so I actually wrote this in a day, and I figured since I’m pretty bad at updating I’d rather just get it out there now and start working on the next one. I'm really really eager to get to them actually getting it on so I've sort of powered through this one.  
> Oh, and the song is Closer by NIN if you don't pick it up. It's one of my favourite fucking songs (although it's surprisingly depressing if you listen to it properly.) and the idea of Loki saying any of the words to her is just nrghh..... so enjoy ;)

 

* * *

 

 

 

It had been three weeks since the sex dream and the meeting in Janes’ lab. Darcy would have liked to say that the feeling was fading, that every time he argued with her, or challenged her, or even looked at her she didn’t want to slide her hand down his pants and tug, but that would be a lie. A really big lie. They had sort of fallen into a routine, whereby Darcy came in, walked past the broken mug on the floor, did whatever filing or sorting could be done with the piles of foreign pages and ignored Loki for as long as she could. He in turn, ignored her, carried on staring at that board and occasionally wrote something down on paper. This carried on until one of them did something that annoyed the other one and they ended up shouting at each other.

One day in the second week, it had been Loki telling Darcy not to bring coffee to work the next morning because ‘the odour damages the books’. Obviously, the next day Darcy bought more coffee than usual, and coffee cake, and even whipped out her weird coffee perfume she had for trying to stay awake in finals. That had started an argument that ended with her pouring coffee on a thousand year old book while staring at Loki. Darcy wouldn’t say it was her proudest moment, but the way his jaw clenched and her heart raced definitely made it worth it. The week after he had done something to her chair so that every time she tried to sit down she slipped off of it. Every fucking time. She didn’t know if it was magic or just polish but it pissed her off enough that she wore all Thor memorabilia for the next few days. Thors face printed on her jeans, her tops, her socks. She even went as far as going to a small nail salon to get mjolnir painted onto her hands. She insisted on tapping everything she handed to him, and by the end of the first hour he fixed her chair so long as she agreed to remove the Thor merchandise. Darcy still wore the Thor underwear though, just to spite him.  

Sometimes, after these arguments, she left for an hour or two, got some lunch or took a swim, before returning to work. She used the time to cool down, and to push all the thoughts of how badly she wanted to make him _make it up_ to her away before returning. On the days when they argued early and she had to leave to cool down, the afternoon seemed to pass in a sort of gentle calm. It was like, once they got all their anger out, they could actually function like normal people. The way they argued, Darcy felt like she gave herself over to something else. Like it was a relief to not have to hide how angry she was. To not have to pretend she was ok. It let something out in her that seemed to have been waiting beneath her skin. It was strange how much better she felt after they fight, it relaxed something within her at the same time as tensing something else. Occasionally, after they fought, he might even find other work for her to do. She was starting to pick up what some of the translations might mean so he had her look for phrases in some of the books. She didn’t really understand what she was looking for but feeling useful was enough. And didn’t that make her job sound shit, but actually, when they weren’t fighting, and even sometimes when they were, she was starting to enjoy working with him.

On the other days, days when the fighting took time to build, the tension lay thickly between them. It was heavy on the ground, leaving her keyed up and anxious without having a real reason why. Of course, Darcy did actually know why. It was that work had become a game in sexual frustration. When they fought, Loki liked to try and intimidate her. She didn’t know if it was just a thing he did, or if it was some sort of power game all people would use if they were tall enough, but he crowded her. He never touched her, but he was always close enough that most of her view was him. She could see his lean chest right in front of her, the planes of him right there and her face was so close to his it was a lesson in self restraint. The long, white, smooth column of his neck dipped down to his collar bone, and it lay at just the right angle for her to want to run her tongue along and then bite. She didn't, of course and the angry words coming out of his mouth helped her to focus. Despite this, and his sheer physicality she never felt scared of him. He intimidated her, but she could honestly say she was never afraid he was going to hurt her. Which was strange, considering his track record of being a murderer and all, but Darcy recognised that her sense of self preservation really wasn’t that great.

So all this crowding, combined with the way he would sometimes growl when they argued, a sound that rumbled through her skin and into her chest, really wasn’t doing her lust any favours. She sometimes found herself gripping the table she was inevitably crowded against, hands clutched tight just to stop herself from running her nails against his cheek. Oddly, it was the times that they weren’t fighting that were hardest. The times when she’d look up and he’d be standing there, half facing her, or writing something down and she’d just watch his face. Watch the way that he moved, because he was fucking beautiful, and it was amazing how he could look so angelic when she knew what was underneath. Those times he looked so normal, it was easy to see the brother Thor had lost. That was the worst of it, that she was starting to see the person he might have been under different circumstances, and the _feelings_  were a thousand times worse than blind lust. Sometimes she’d spill coffee on a book or start knitting again just to piss him off so she could remind herself that when he was shouting, that was the real him. That Thor was wrong to think there was any kindness left. That wasn’t to say that she wasn’t still attracted to him, but it was one of the things that stopped her doing anything. And she really, really did want to do things. The thought of him, gentle and obedient, was a seductive one. She tried not to let her mind wander too much when she was working but sometimes she would find herself fixated on a part of his face or body, like the pinkness of his lips, or the way that he might stretch and show his treasure-trail and her whole mind would short circuit for a moment. Those days went with tension, her time laced with the need to fight with him just to get her annoyance at wanting him out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Friday was one of the days where the argument hadn’t arrived yet. Somehow, she had been there an hour, and instead of the usual pre-fight atmosphere they seemed to actually be getting on pretty well. She’d put on some music and he hadn’t even complained. Darcy was starting to count the smallest victories. They were both working, Loki for once looking up things from books, instead of fixating on the board, when the song changed. A back beat started, the loud thumping travelling through the room.  

_You let me violate you_

_You let me desecrate you_

_You let me penetrate you_

_You let me complicate you_

_Help me_

It took Darcy a second to realise what song was playing, the lyrics blaring out over the suddenly too- quiet room.  She scrabbled quickly for her ipod and changed the music, feeling her face flush. She looked up to see Loki, his head cocked to the side from where he had been listening to the song.

“Interesting lyrics.” Loki said, watching her and she really did not need him looking at her like that after that song had run through her head. _Thank god it didn’t get to the_ _chorus_ she thought hysterically.

“Yeah.” Darcy said, suddenly finding her work really fascinating. She then coughed awkwardly, because she really did not need to get into a discussion about her favourite horny/angry song with him. He was still looking at her intently but she carried on ignoring him, even though she could see his slight smile as he returned to his work. She tried to push the song out of her head, but the thought of Loki, pinning her on her front to the ground, his voice low as he growled the words into her ear was distracting enough to make her suddenly babble.

“I tased Thor when I first met him.” Darcy said, the random thought babbling out of her mouth before she could stop it. Loki looked over, pausing for a second before apparently taking the bait.  

“Tased?” He asked, frowning slightly.

“Um, you know, shot him with prongs, electrocuted him.” She said, and then a small smile travelled onto her face. “He went down like a sack of shit.” His eyes drifted down to her lips as he listened and his face changed completely as his lip twitched.

“He fell?” He said gleefully, a smile now, and something stirred inside her at how happy he looked. She felt her own smile grow wider, mirroring his.

“Yeah, knocked him out cold. In my defence, I thought he was crazy.” Loki laughed suddenly and Darcy wasn’t sure who it surprised more. It was such a rich, low sound, the sort of thing that she wanted to hear more of. “He calls me his shield sister now. I think it’s just because it sounds better than being taken down by his own element.” Loki laughed again, and it travelled through her, tingling her skin before meeting her own laugh leaving her lips. His eyes had crinkled at the edges and he looked so happy that it was infectious. Their eyes met and something passed between them, and suddenly it felt like too much to be laughing together. _This is not a good idea_ , Darcy thought, and the way she wanted to walk over and take his bottom lip between hers confirmed it. She froze, and the smile fell off of her face but their eyes stayed locked together. The intensity that was in his eyes was different to usual, it seemed deeper, more important, and instantly Darcy knew that she needed to leave before she let her heart beat any faster. She got up suddenly, dragging her eyes away and grabbed her bag. She walked out, leaving Loki watching her from the table.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  

In her free time Darcy had started to wander around the city that she had barely started to see. She had a load of money coming in now, what with her rent and bills covered in the contract. She’d done all the touristy stuff, but the best thing she’d found in the city was a small bakery a few blocks over from the tower. It was a small place, but they didn’t seem to mind her taking her tablet and reading there nursing a pot of coffee and a few cakes. After she left the lab, Darcy walked over with a shaky stomp before ordering. The whole thing had thrown her completely, she kept on forgetting what he did, why he was there,  just from a pretty smile. It was ridiculous. Darcy sat, and spent an hour there, drinking her coffee and eating an impressive number of pastries before she figured she should probably head back. Comfort eating wasn’t really her thing, and she remembered why when five pastries in she felt sick. Darcy paid, and head back towards the tower slowly, drinking some water she’d bought with the hopes of feeling a bit better.  Walking in the lab was silent, he had turned off her ipod docks and didn’t even look up as she walked in. Darcy sat, swinging her bag back onto the table. She could see new pages of notes in front of Loki, and he was hunched over, scribbling frantically. There was an odd tension in the room that Darcy didn’t even want to think about so she got her head down, and worked looking for some key words in the books. They didn’t speak for the next hour, both of them doing a good job of ignoring each other.  Five minutes before she was due to go home Loki spoke.

“I need the notes from the tome I gave you yesterday.” He said, not looking at her. Darcy frowned, and then looked back at him.

“I did those yesterday.” She remembered handing them to him, being unsurprised at how he had hardly glanced at them before filing the page.

“They need to be done again.” He said, and Darcy frowned, confused.

“Whats’ wrong with them?”

“They’re not right.” And then she was just pissed.

“They took me all the time I was here yesterday.” They took the whole four hours, she remembered because they had only had a small argument, and it was while she was working anyway.

“Then you should have done it properly. I need them done today.” He growled, finally looking up, his eyes cold. Darcy wanted to ask why, to question what was so important that he was suddenly frantic about working again. But she knew this was a power game. That he needed her to submit to his will just as much as she needed to stand against it. The tension from before was there, filling the space between them as well as drawing them closer to each other.

“My time is up for today. I’ll do it first thing tomorrow.” Because she really did not need this bullshit, not when she was struggling to be in the same room with him already.

“Not good enough.”

“Tough. You should have told me earlier.” Darcy bit out, only just keeping a lid on her temper. She had managed to keep it so far, but her anger at him, for making her like him and his stupid handsome face was building at the edges of what she could deal with.

“You are my assistant.” He said, his face angry and challenging. “Assist.” And the word was an order.  Her self-restraint broke. She tried not to focus on the way that it felt like she wanted it. The fight started and it was so much more intense than any they had had before. They were shouting at each other, and he was crowding her again, but she stood her ground, until they were centimetres apart, the anger rolling off in waves. Darcy felt like she was reminding herself that she could not like this man, that the laugh they’d had earlier wasn’t something she should crave. So she pulled up her anger at him, and shouted louder, feeling him do the same. There was a sort of tension running through her body, she could feel tingling in her palms and the need to make him obey her was overwhelming. She looked at him and saw the same look in his eyes. The stubbornness and need all mixed together. Darcy felt as if she was looking in on them from the outside suddenly. It was like a light switch went on in her head. She saw the way he was standing, the way they mirrored each other, tight fists as if they were both stopping themselves from reaching out and touching the other one. She saw his eyes as they fixed on hers, the hunger and anger in them, and the way they drifted down to her lips when she spoke.  She froze suddenly, and it all clicked.

“You want me.” She said suddenly, interrupting him and surprising herself at the truth of it. Tony was right, the way he looked at her wasn’t hatred, it was something else. The other reasons she had for fighting were the same as his – the need to get closer to each other. Fighting was the only way they could justify it.  Loki stopped shouting and reared back, still breathing heavily. Darcy expected him to argue, she expected him to tell her that she was beneath him. That wanting a _midgardian_ was beneath him. Instead he looked surprised, and then determined. His eyes dipped down, heavy lidded as they traced their way up her body in a way that made her completely bare. He moved forward, centimetres away from pressing himself to her as his head lowered to look her straight in the eye, staring at her hard enough to give her goosepimples.

“Yes.” He said finally, nothing more than a growl. “I want you.”  Darcy swallowed tightly and pressed her legs tighter together.

“Oh.”  She said lamely, wide eyes looking into his dark ones, stunned. Because her wanting him was one thing. She could keep herself separate when she knew the attraction was one way. But seeing him look at her like that. All hungry and needing, and like he would do anything she asked was too much.

“And you want me.” He said, not even a question, and how could she blame him when it was written all over her face and in the heat between her legs. She was about to open her mouth to say something when the loud noise of her alarm filled the room. Darcy jumped, and both of their heads whipped round to her phone, where it was laying on the table, still going off.

“Times up.” She said absentmindedly, both of their eyes still fixed on her phone.  She turned, met his eyes briefly and calmly picked up her bag and phone before walking towards the door.

“You’re work is not finished.” He said lowly, tension in his voice as it followed her to the door. She didn’t stop to answer as she walked out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Maybe Loki POV? I’m not sure yet, but definitely less running away on Darcys’ part. Also I’ve updated the tags, so that’ll give you a hint of what’s to come in the next few chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So re-reading this fic and what I’ve written totally explains why I’ve never been attracted to nice people :D I write like I do most things – en mass and sporadically but when I do it’ll be a few chapters at once. That should explain how I’ve written five chapters in under five days, but I’ll put some time between updating them so as not to burn myself out and give a bit of a buffer. Update days for a bit will be Monday and Friday, but probably only for the next week or so because I’m pretty unreliable ;D
> 
> So this chapters from Lokis’ POV as requested by a load of people. I love the comments and I love any suggestions you guys so keep them up :D Also there’s a cheeky wanking/sex dream scene because I was getting tired at the lack of smut ;)

* * *

 

 

The girl had run. Again. Loki had watched her walk out of the door on Friday night, a calm stride that betrayed the way he could hear her heart pounding. It had come just after that revealing conversation and he had spent the weekend frustrated, trapped in that infernal space with only waiting to do. He still worked of course, testing his magic stopped for no-one, but it was ridiculous that any of his time was wasted on thinking about her.  She had power over him, and Loki detested it. She was midgardian, after all. The butt of every Asgardians’ joke after Frost Giants for thousands of years. Before being trapped and meeting her he truly believed they were incapable of even the most basic complexity. His time fighting the avengers had taught him some more about humans, but not one of those ‘superheroes’ had really held his attention beyond throwing him around. Of course, the girl had changed that. She looked fairly standard for a human. When he had first seen her, all lush curves hidden behind large ugly clothing and a skirt, he hadn’t been impressed. Or even interested. Her face didn’t particularly hold anything for him to begin with – blue eyes but with a gentle jaw and hardly anything fascinating about it, even with those large lips.

He watched her come into the room on that first meeting and wondered how a planet with such diversity could produce something so plain. But then he had noticed her reaction to him. Once her eyes found his he saw a look that he had always associated with women chasing Thor - raw lust. It was so visceral in her, her pupils blowing out as he heard her breath stutter slightly. She had mumbled out some inane midgardian greeting and the shake in her voice told him everything else he needed to know. It was fascinating to watch, and instantly gratifying to find a source of manipulation so quickly. Normally Loki had to take time to work out how to work someone, but this little lamb had let it all out without even speaking. He had expected it to be easy, manipulation was such simple work when emotions were so plain. And yet-  she had resisted. She had fought back. Later, he would remember the way she had drawn herself back, how her eyes had hardened like she knew the game he was playing before he even started. At the time, all he could think about was how much he wished he could kill her.  How he hated Thor and that man on the throne for lowering him to this level.  Then she had accepted the job and Loki made it his mission to make her regret that decision.  The problem was his scheming did nothing.  She had surprised him again and again, meeting every challenge he set. The snake had shown her commitment, the coffee cup her stubbornness and the Sonnet, that had truly surprised him. So he lessened the thoughts of driving her away. He had other things to think about anyway, and she could occasionally be quite useful. She sat in the lab, listening to that ridiculous music from those wires, or from that machine, and he hated that he could relax around her. That afternoons in her company sometimes reminded her of quiet days he had with Frigga as a boy, both of them reading . That thought made his chest ache, and he tried not to compare this girl with his mother, not when it was a disservice to the only person he ever loved. But there was something comforting about the girl when she wasn’t shouting. Or swearing. Obviously manners on Midgard left a lot to be desired. She could be humourous too, often amusing him even when she did not mean to. Overall however he would do without her company. So it was surprising when he realised that there were parts of him that would not.

 

They had been fighting not so long after visiting the lab for Thors’ woman. Loki would lie and say their fighting was a calculated move. A move to try and drive her away, but generally the fights came spontaneously and with a fervour that shocked him. The girl had walked in, skirt swinging and her shoes clacking against the floor before she sat down. He ignored her, of course, but still noticed her dark lipstick and eyeliner. On days she wore more make-up she was especially combative. Whether or not it was a side effect, or if it was applied as a form of war paint was yet to be seen, but he appreciated her slick red lips none the less. The first few hours had passed in relative ease, with her working intently, her music still audible from the buds in her ears. She seemed especially focussed on her work, not having looked up at him once, and while that wasn’t that unusual it was intriguing. On most days she spent a fair amount of time not so subtly watching him and he did the same, although with much more discretion. After the third hour had passed without her doing so much as stretch Loki became incredibly bored. It was one of those things that had always come across him suddenly, a vast desperation that made even the most basic of tasks impossible. Luckily the girl provided more than enough entertainment to throw him out of his despair. He looked up and watched her, reclining slightly as he did so. She seemed tense today, and irritable which were two of his favourite moods for her to be in.  He waved a hand and removed the coffee from her thermos from across the room. The slight tinkling of the metal had some sort of pavlovian response and she reached forward to pour herself another mug. She looked so forlorn when she upturned the thermos and no liquid came out that he had to restrain himself from smiling. She glanced over to him suspiciously and he smirked back at her. The girl huffed air through her nose, rolled her eyes and stood up, picking up her large bag as she did so.

 “You cannot leave.” He said, knowing that his tone alone would irritate her. The girl paused, and took a breath before speaking.

“I need coffee. And I don’t remember needing to ask you for permission.” She had such a short temper that day. Her frustration with him already palpable. It amused him and he kept in his smile.

“Good, because I don’t remember giving it.” He was staring at her, watching her as he let his voice harden into something like a command. She visibly bristled, blue eyes staring at him as he saw her clench her fist around her bag.

“Once again,” She said, stressing each word. “you do not own me.” _Yet_. Loki thought possessively, the feeling rushing over him suddenly. 

“But apparently your addiction to a drink does?” He said in mock confusion. “I am surprised, I would have thought even a midgardian could survive the forty minutes you have left without it.” Her eyes hardened at that, and he felt excitement at her anger. It was always this way, when she was on the edge of losing her composure. All he had to do was push a few buttons and watch her go. Of course, it was more of a challenge not to get dragged along with her.

“Well, most _humans_ don’t have to work with you.” She retorted, clearly angry now and he saw that she was going to leave anyway.

“Most are not stupid enough too.” He said, and she faced him full on, anger sweeping through her tiny body as she stared at him. He waited eagerly for her reply. There was nothing like seeing her when fury rocked through her. Instead, she surprised him again. She closed her eyes, let a breath out and then opened them. And then she put a fake, placid smile on her face and spoke.

“Ok.” She said blankly, this time turning towards the door. Loki blinked for a second, unsure of what to do with this reaction.

“Ok?” He asked, wondering if there was another form of midgardian slang for this word that he did not know about.

“Ok.” She said blankly, tossing it over her shoulder as she reached the door.

“You cannot leave.” He said, with the feeling of being played at his own game. Loki also got the distinct feeling she was laughing at him.

“Ok.” She said, reaching to swipe the card down through the slot to let her out, and this time she definitely was laughing at him.  Suddenly, baiting her did not seem so humorous. He vaulted over the table, landing on the side nearest her, and in a second he had his arms either side of her. He was not touching her, but he was leaning over the girl so as to force her back against the door. She had turned when he sprung, and was now facing him, so they would have been chest to chest if they were not keeping their distance. He enjoyed the way her heart sped up, enjoyed how she had to look up to meet his gaze. But he mainly enjoyed the view of her ample breasts pressed tightly against her shirt, the deep valley that he would have liked to bury his face in. That thought shocked him slightly, the suddenness of it, but not enough to stop him from replying.

“Ask me if you can leave.” He demanded, growling it out in a way that he was sure should could feel it in her ribcage. _Obey._ He thought, and that kind were becoming more and more common. The urge to make her follow his orders, flashes of her on her knees before him.  He had pushed them away before but they grew more and more persistant in the time they spent together. She stood up straighter, clenching her fists again.

“Fuck. Off.” She said, defiant as she stared back at him. He moved himself closer to her, their faces so close that for a moment he wanted to lick the lipstick off of her face before he turned his head at the last moment, leaning in to speak into her ear.

“Ask. Me.” He growled again, and he felt the shiver she gave off through the air. Her breath was coming fast, and he was having to press his hands hard to the door to stop himself wrapping his arms around hers, tying her arms together and _keeping her there_. And wasn’t that a lovely image. Suddenly the doors opened behind her and he just stopped himself falling forwards before she took off, leaving him to wonder what had happened. She had run her keycard through the slot while he was distracted, and he watched the confusion on the guards faces as she stormed past them. He hated that he couldn’t follow her, but due to that ridiculous band around his ankle he was trapped wherever they wanted him. He smashed a fist against the wall angrily, glared at the guards and they quickly closed the doors, leaving him panting, leaning against it. Her defiance had left him furious, but there was another feeling that had not been apparent for quite some time. At first he foolishly thought it was just from the anger. That shouting at anyone would bring the same reaction. But Loki remembered the fights he used to have with Sif. They were brutal, harsh words and fists but at no point did he have the urge to have her submit to him, at least in any more than a diplomatic way.

With the midgardian it was so different to Sif. When they fought her face flushed, her hair wild and tangled as her piercing blue eyes stayed focussed on him. She was clever when they argued, using his words against him and coming back with retorts so quick that he had no doubt that if it wasn’t infuriating him so much, and she had been a useful race, they would have been fast friends.  After the fight in the Thors’ womans’ lab he had to look at her differently. He realised the fighting, the anger came more from frustration than anything else. As it was, whenever she challenged him he had the urge to bend her over the table and show her what it meant to truly submit. This image kept on appearing when they fought, her pressed flush against one of the benches, skirt up enough that he could reach one hand into her. The other hand was clasping both of her wrists behind her back, keeping her down. It would be the easiest thing to make her, and the idea was tempting enough to give him pause, but he had never been one to want unwillingness in a lover. He wanted her to come to him and beg for what they both knew she wanted. That would be true submission. Admitting to herself that she wanted him, however he wanted her.  Instead they fought, and the words left his mouth before he had time to think of them, because his brain was too full of things he wouldn’t say. And then, last week she had confronted him.

“You want me.” She had said, eyes wide like it was an aberration. That the idea was so shocking the words had to leave her in a breath. He had thought about denying it, but Loki had never been one to deny himself things he wanted. And she was a thing he very much wanted. So he had agreed, and felt her breath catch in her chest, and her eyes drop sleepily to his lips before she swallowed.

“And you want me.” He had said, with conviction he had from their very first meeting. Whether or not she would act on it was another thing. The way she held herself back in this area but let herself go in others was fascinating, but he had a vested interest in making sure this time she was unrestrained.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The Monday after that conversation she did not arrive in the lab. He had been waiting, curious to see her reaction to the situation. When she still had not arrived by the afternoon he started to wonder. Then the next day came, and the next day went and she still did not appear. He had started to pace, waiting for her. It was not right that she got to leave him like this, that she could go and he was trapped in that room. He tried to push thoughts of her out of his head, he worked harder that day, testing the limits of his magic once more but when night came thoughts of her crept back in. Wednesday and Thursday passed with less and less hope of her appearing. He went to the gym one afternoon, something he was only allowed once a week and if another avenger could be found. It was the green giant this time, somehow pushed into a pathetic human body. Normally, Loki might have used the chance to goad him, to get some sort of reaction out of him. And even then, the beating he had taken when facing the avenger before would have been preferable to obsessing over that mortal girl. However, his brother was also present, with that sad look on his face that made Loki want to punch him. Thor always looked so hopeful when he saw him, as if he would be able to forget the way he betrayed Loki by sending him to this disgusting planet as punishment.  So instead of fighting he ignored them, knowing that that would upset Thor more. He drove himself to work on the puny midgardian running machine until his head was clear, and his brothers hope was well and truly squashed.

 

On Friday she had filled his head again. He woke up in the morning a hard, hot weight between his legs, and quickly remembered the dream that had been the cause. _He had been in the lab, a book in hand as he worked, writing down some equations onto the sheet in front of him. He could hear breathing off to the side, even and smooth and he ignored her a little longer in favour of finishing writing out the page. Once he was done, he placed the pen down and turned to face her. The girl was kneeling, legs spread, arms held behind her back. Darcy was naked, her tits low and heavy as they lay against her chest, a nipple clamp linking them together. She was staring at the floor, and when he moved he saw the girl tense slightly, heard her heart rate pick up. He stood and walked over to the girl until he stood just in front of her, bowed head distractingly near his crotch. Loki reached down and gently led her chin up so she looked him in the eye. Her mouth dropped open, an invitation if he ever saw one and he slid his thumb past her red lips as they stared at each other._

_“Suck.” He said, his voice rough as his erection became more prominent against his leather trousers. She took  his thumb into her hot, wet mouth and sucked lightly on the tip before bringing the whole thing in with one long stroke of her tongue. His cock twitched as he pulled it in and out of her mouth, wet lips slick against him. He let her carry on for a moment before he slid his thumb out and smeared it against her mouth, smudging her carefully done lipstick. He knelt down, so that he was nearer to her and he slid his hand down to the chain on the clamps. It was long enough that he could grab it once around his palm without it getting too tight, although she did gasp at the way they pulled against her.  She was beautiful like this, all cream skin and wide blue eyes, so willing to please. He tugged gently again on the clamps and she bit her lip to stifle the moan that had built up from her chest. He reached the other hand up and tugged her lip from her teeth, shaking his head. “I want to hear you.” He said, eyes fixed on hers. He pulled the clamps again, and this time she didn’t restrain herself as she moaned, the noise travelling through both of them and straight to his cock. He let his other hand drift from her lips, gathering the wetness from the side of her mouth before letting it travel lower. He watched her face as he slid it down, past her breast, along the curve of her waist before settling on the thatch of hair just above her dripping cunt.. Her breathing was faster, chest heaving and tugging on the clamps if the way she tried to keep her breaths shallow was any indication. He gently slid his hand down to cup her, slipping his middle finger between her wet lips. “You are mine.” He said, as the finger found her nub and traced it. “Say it.” Her eyes were glazed slightly, as he pushed down slightly harder, before letting the other fingers join the first in running through her folds._

_“I am yours.” She said, breathily, and then groaned when he rewarded her by pushing his fingers just into her. He felt her tighten around him, and she immediately tried to open her legs wider to take the cool digits in. He pulled sharply on the chain as a warning and she let out a small moan but stopped none the less. He pushed his fingers in further, feeling warm heat engulf them to the knuckles. His dick was painfully hard against the seam of his trousers, but this was not about him._

_“Again.”He demanded, starting to move his hand faster inside her, his other hand tugging on the chain as he filled her._

_“I am yours.”She said, stuttering slightly as she spoke. He moved faster still, pumping in and out o little harder as he felt her get close._

_“Again.” He growled, unclipping one of the clamps with one hand and immediately taking one of her nipples into his mouth. He sucked it in, running his tongue around it softly once. She moaned, clenching slightly on his fingers and he licked again before biting down. Her head was tilted backas she moaned and he drove into her, flicking her clit with his thumb, rolling her nipple between his teeth._

_“Yours.” She got out, on the end of a moan. And he felt her clamp down on him, pulsing around his fingers as she came, hot and heavy around his still pumping fingers. His other hand reached for the zip of his flies._

And that was how he had woken up, hard with his hand reaching for his dick. While he remembered  the dream, he licked his palm, hand slipping beneath his sweat pants as he gripped himself firmly. He imagined how the dream might have carried on, how he might have unzipped himself, pinned her down and pushed into her still quivering cunt. His hand moved up the shaft of his dick and imagined it was her, tight and wet. He squeezed himself, his other hand reaching down to cup his balls and tug them, gently first then harder. It didn’t take him long to finish then, with the image of her in his head.  Long white ribbons flew out of him and hit his arm. He lay there for a moment, panting slightly, before he brought his arm to his mouth and licked the mess up.

 

* * *

 

 

The most frustrating thing about the situation was that there was no-one to contact to discover when she would be returning. That Coulson man was infuriatingly bland, and the guards mainly refused to speak to him in case he manipulated them. Which he would do of course, but it was still tiresome not to be able to get the information. It frustrated him that his magic was not great enough to just find out. If this was a power game she was playing, trying to assert some sort of dominance where both of them were struggling it was a failed attempt. He had no doubt she would return, lust such as theirs was difficult to truly withdraw from. But all her absence had done was make him angrier. When she returned he would make sure she knew that it would not be tolerated. She was just delaying the inevitable – her submission. The sooner she returned, the sooner she would accept this and the happier she would be. This was the thought that calmed him, that she couldn’t resist this any more than he could and eventually she would see that her place was on her knees.  So on Monday, when he heard the click of her heels as she walked through the guard area,  he was ready. He knew what he had to do, what she had to see. This time he would not look away, he would not pretend to be unaffected. He watched the door and waited for her to walk in. Waited to make it clear she was his.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m on holiday this week but I’ll reply to all the comments when I get back, I always appreciate them they help so much with getting me off my arse and actually writing :D
> 
> Next time: Darcy returns, there is full acceptance that they want each other, and mentions of Thor in the ball pit, because I know what you guys really want, and if it can’t be smut, it had better be more ball pit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it turns out you can’t set it up to automatically post in the future, which I didn’t realise because I’m a mug so I guess you’ll get this one early, you lucky things ;) I’ll do the next one next Tuesday when I’m back so you won’t have to wait that long.  
> This is just a brief overview of what Darcy did in the week that Loki brooded, and there eventual reunion, not really any smut? At this point the lines for these guys are so blurred it feels like even them sitting in a room ignoring each other is sexual.  
> Anyway, now the real tempting begins MWAHAHA, because obviously 7 chapters of them wanting to fuck each other isn’t enough. Apparently I’m really into delayed gratification, who knew? So both of them are pretty set on wanting to dominate the other. I was thinking about asking for your guys advice on who gives in first but I already have a favourite so I’m just gonna go with that ;)

* * *

 

Coulson hadn’t even looked surprised when she’d marched into his office and asked for a weeks’ break.  Not that that said much. He only looked up from his paperwork for a moment, paused to take her in and then nodded before speaking.

“One week.” He said, and Darcy had expected an argument, so nodded surprised . “And you have to make up the time.” That made her stop for a moment. She shouldn’t have been surprised – her contract didn’t allow any holiday time since it was so few hours. But having a job where most people quit or were driven away meant that she had some bargaining chips. The thought of having to spend more time a day with Loki sent mixed feelings through her however, but she really wasn’t in a position to go back the next week.

“Ok.” She said, and ignored the part of her that was happy for longer days with him. She had thought about just going to the other apartment and wallowing in the ball pit, but even that wouldn’t have cleared her head. Tony still hadn’t taken it away, and ok, she did actually sometimes sit in there to read, but it really wasn’t necessary. At least that was her view until she had invited Thor in and seen him literally frolicking in it like a goddamn puppy. Thor had seen the pit and turned to her with confusion and then something like actual hearts in his eyes as he asked if he could go into the ‘sun arena’. Darcy agreed, but when she saw that he had mjolnir in his hand, and was already starting practice swings, she made herself scarce. She didn’t even need to ask for the video from Stark, he emailed it to her later that day accompanied by a phone call whereby he promised her another apartment as thanks. She drew the line there, but mostly because she couldn’t think of any way to improve on a ball pit. He said he could make it a ‘mud room’ and he would pay her commission if she got various avengers to wrestle in it. The idea was tempting, really tempting, watching Black Widow kick any of the guys asses would be glorious but Darcy tried to pride herself on not being a creeper so she rejected his offer. This meant that even though she still had an apartment filled with balls, it would have been a stretch to have spent that long in it. Not to mention she occasionally got sea-sick laying on the lilo.

So instead she explored the city properly and tried to not give herself time to think. She spent some much needed times in the lab with Jane, not minding helping out in the lab, so long as it wasn't _his_ lab. Walking around New York all day was tiring, not to mention stressful, but she did it with the aim of coming back exhausted and not having to think. She knew that she needed time and space away from him, but by the end of the fifth night, when she returned to the apartment worn out and she was tried to watch some stupid reality show that she normally loved and ended up thinking about him, again, she knew she had to figure it out. The weeks she had worked for him had been all about self restraint and it was frustrating to say the least. Darcy had always had a pretty strict ‘don’t shit where you eat’ policy when it came to masturbation. She saw no need to bring people she saw often, or knew in real life into her fantasies.

But her head was full of him. Every hand was his. Every muffled groan. When she closed her eyes and looked down it was always Loki that she saw between her legs. Avoiding him when she took some alone time had been difficult. Actually impossible. So she had given up, and refused to touch herself at all just to spite him. And yes, she knew how stupid that was, but even when it was just in her own head it felt like he would be winning. Her mood was tense to say the least, especially when she had such fine inspiration in front of her.It was torture working with him everyday, like a constant challenge that she would never win. Except now she actually might. The fact that he wanted her, even just carnally sent shivers through her whenever she thought about it. Loki was so in control, constantly that the thought of him giving himself up to her made it more difficult for her to ignore the way the space between her legs ached. That was why she needed to take the time off. If she had gone back the next Monday, seen him again, it would have been embarrassing how quickly she offered herself up to him. And that really wasn't what this was about. Plus, he'd get pissed off that she was away, and him angry made her heart beat fast even as she moved closer for more. She needed to be the one calling the shots with him. If anything happened at all.

After a week of doing nothing but thinking about how much she didn’t want to give in she really thought about the reason she was stopping herself from fucking him. He was a bad person. A murderer. Possibly insane, although actually considering what Thor had told her about him maybe he had reason to be? And he was funny when he wasn’t just rude. The list had stopped becoming reasons not to now and Darcy wasn’t sure if she was ok with that. It just felt like such a betrayal. Not only was she being paid to work with him, but she knew firsthand the level of pain he’d caused. How much he’d messed with poor Erics’ head. The idea that this was all manipulation on his part had occurred to her more than once. But the anger, the lust, the rawness of every feeling they bought out in each other seemed like the opposite. It seemed like the most honest thing about him. It was difficult to calculate a move to make when you barely had time to think of the next insult. She was ignoring the other elephant in the room, the fact that when he wasn’t being a dick she wanted to slide her hand around his neck and bury her face there. That those times, his smile made her feel warm, and happy. She ignored that, feelings had never been her strong point.

At the end of the week she had come to an uneasy truce with herself – it didn’t matter what sort of person he was. If Thor was right or not. The attraction had been there before she’d even spoken one word to him. Yes, the fighting had built it up to something more than she ever expected, but that wasn’t where it started. All she wanted was sex, and for that she didn’t need an attachment to him. She didn’t need him to be kind, or gentle or a good person. She just needed him to be obedient. And that could be taught. Darcy refused to be another person who let him get what he wants, because that sort of attitude hadn’t exactly done wonders for general world health. Not that she thought fucking him would change the world. Although maybe it would, all that unreleased sexual tension probably wasn’t doing him any favours. In a way, she would be doing good. Or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself. She was just going to have to find a way to get him to accept that he had to be the one to give in.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Darcy walked into the lab on Monday, bag slung over her shoulder as she avoided the broken cup still lying on the floor. She knew he would be angry. Men like him didn’t like to be ignored and she had done it for a whole week. She could feel Loki was staring at her, piercing green eyes boring in a way that she couldn’t even try to ignore. She sat down and shifted uncomfortably on her chair. Had he done something to it again? There was a prickling sensation across her skin that told her it was probably being watched that bothered her more than the seat. She slouched over, still ignoring him and pretended to do some work. She heard his chair scrape back and felt herself tense. He walked slowly over, feet landing softly on the floor as he prowled over before he stopped next to her. Loki leaned forward, one arm on the table in front of her as a growl left his throat. Darcy repressed a shiver and stared longer at the notes. He slid them off of the desk, the soft thump of the pages landing making her bite her lip. When she finally looked up the sight of him made her heart skip. He had a practically feral look in his eyes and his jaw was clenched.

“Where were you?” He asked, voice and eyes  betraying the fury in his body.

“Away.” She said, meeting his eyes and making it clear that that was all the information she was going to give him. When he didn’t move she spoke again. “I have work to do.”

“You should have been working last week.” He growled out, sending a small shiver across her skin.

“Well I wasn’t,” She said, aiming for irreverent because his intensity was starting to send mixed messages to her vagina. “we’ve established that.” She looked away again before remembering her pages were on the floor now and she was definitely not bending over to pick them up. She sighed at him and he growled back before she spoke again. “Look, I am working now.” She said and he raised an eyebrow as if it say ‘really?’. “I will not be working in...” She looked down at her phone to check the time. “five hours and fifty- two minutes. If you have anything non-work related you can say it then.” She stared him out, watching his jaw tightened incrementally before he let out a breath and straightened up before storming back to his seat. Darcy found herself hiding a smile as he sat down moodily. Arguing with him was not something she had expected to miss.

 

They worked for the rest of the day, Darcy translating some more notes and Loki staring at the board again. She put on some music at one point, and was surprised that the silence between them wasn’t that tense. It was like they were saving it until the end of the day. She worked through lunch and when her hand started cramping at around hour three she took a walk around the lab to start straightening the piles of books.  He didn’t seem to get tired, instead he only shifted from the board to writing down notes, concentration a slight frown on his face. Exactly five hours and fifty one minutes later he spoke, the noise startling her before she looked at her phone. _Because of course he’s that pedantic_ , she thought.

“I want you.” He said, and she looked up to see his eyes fixed on her.

“You’ve mentioned that.” She said, stretching her arms above her head, achy from where she’d been slouched over.

“Don’t be glib.” He chastised, eyes watching her body hungrily. Why did him telling her off suddenly feel so hot? “You are mine.” He said and the ownership that laced his voice made her want to protest at the same time as drop to her knees. “But since you don’t let agree, tell me what I have to do to get you.” She had no doubt about what he meant by ‘get her’ and the straightforward way he said it was a massive turn on. She wavered for a second and then remembered all the reasons she had for staying strong.

“Submit.” She said, and Loki looked confused. He looked as if the idea had never occurred to him. That he never suspected that this would end with his submission and not hers.

“To you?” He said, confused but with laughter in his voice and didn’t that just fuck her off more.

“Yes.” Darcy said firmly, staring him down until he was clear this was no joke. “You want me.” She stated before carrying on. “And the only way you can have me is if you beg.” His eyes hardened at that, and she could see he wasn’t happy at what she said.

“I will not submit.” He said sounding so sure Darcy hid a laugh.

“Neither will I.” She replied simply and he looked at her frustrated.

“Well then we have a stalemate.” He said, anger lacing his tone and she rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think so.” She said, and then jumped up onto the side of the table, swinging her legs under it. “You’ll give in.” He cocked his head.

“What makes you think that?” Loki asked, and the idea seemed laughable to him judging by the smirk on his face.

“You’re half hard talking to me normally.” She said lowly, letting her eyes graze over his crotch as she spoke.

“And you’re practically dripping onto the furniture.” He replied just as lowly, his words making her all too aware of her predicament. She pushed her thighs together a little tighter.  “I fail to see your point.”

“You’re half hard talking to me normally.” She repeated, leaning back on her arms on the table. “And I haven’t even started trying yet.” His eyes widened slightly and then darkened as he stared at her.

“And you think I have?” He asked and she felt anticipation roll through her. Darcy crossed her legs, aware that this would show her thigh up the side. His eyes traced the pale flash of skin there and she repressed a shiver. Loki walked over and lent, arms either side of her hands. He bracketed her body, face just inches away until most of her view was filled with him. Her eyes dropped down to trace his lips, the strong line of his jaw before staring into his intense ones again.

“If you ask me nicely, I’ll touch you.” He said, his voice low and seductive. But Darcy was never one to give in so easily. For a second she worried about the cameras, but she figured Loki was the possessive sort of guy who wouldn’t want anyone seeing what they were up to except them. Darcy stared into his eyes and slowly uncrossed her legs.  Leaning back slightly onto her arms, she spread them wide until, if he moved forward, she would be able to clamp them around him.

“If you ask me nicely, I’ll let you.” Darcy said, and she watched him tense, watched his eyes dip down to where her thighs met. His hand moved forward, hovering over her thigh and she thought he was going to touch her, when he grabbed the edge of her skirt and flipped it up, exposing her underwear to him. His eyes darkened and he growled, a fierce angry sound and suddenly she remembered what underwear she had on. Mjolnir was no doubt peaking out to look at him, and Darcy would be a bit embarrassed but they were insanely comfortable. She opened her mouth to say something, some sort of joke to break the non-sexual tension that had just descended when he looked her in the eye, lifted his hand and clicked. There was a sudden noise and then a lot of cool air where there hadn’t been any before. Darcy squealed as she realised that he had literally _magicked her underwear away._ “What the actual fuck?!” She said staring at him while he was now staring at a very bare part of her body. He had a look in his eyes somewhere between amusement and hunger and let out a pleased growl at her exposed slit. She moved to close her legs, to clamp them shut when he moved, pressing his body to the table in between them. Her legs froze, a few centimetres away from his. They weren’t touching, and Darcy suddenly realised that they _hadn’t ever touched_. Not once in all the arguing had he laid a hand on her or her him. Darcy was normal a tactile person, but  with him she had been doing everything she could to keep her distance. Touch was a common thing for her, and realising that there had been no brush of arms, no accidental meeting of hands when passing papers, nothing, came as a shock. They had both been keeping a careful distance around each other, and it suddenly made the next thing she did very important. They were both operating by the unspoken rule that to touch would be to give in to something. If she clamped her legs around him, drew him closer to rub her bare slit against his visible erection, it would trigger something that she wasn’t sure she would have control over. So she opened her legs again, wider this time, having to shift forward on the table so as not to touch him and watched his eyebrow twitch. His eyes flicked down, and then back up to hers and he smirked before moving back in one fluid movement. Suddenly he was crouching down  at eye level with somewhere that was not her face. Darcy felt her chest flush as she looked down on him, face just in front of the crease of her thighs. His breath ghosted over her skin, making her shift uncomfortably as she got wetter. She watched him watching her as his tongue came out to wet his lips.

“Ask me.” He said, and his breath touched her again.She could see his tongue, pink and wet in his mouth and the thought of that touching her was making her wetter than she already was. Which he was close enough to see.

 "I want to know what you taste like." He said, voice low and silky smooth. "What you feel like what you come." Darcy felt her thighs tensing and she wondered if she could come just from him talking to her/ She wanted it so badly, to say the words that would make him press his tongue against her. Darcy had known guys who didn’t like going down on girls. They pretended they did, using it as a way to trade oral, but she could always tell when they got down there that they had no enthusiasm for what they were doing. She knewtell already Loki was not one of those guys. The way he was looking at her, with hunger and feral focus sent shivers through her. He would not do it just because she wanted it, he would do it because he did. And fuck if that didn’t send the words to the tip of her tongue.

“Ask me.” He demanded, leaning closer still. She let her eyes close for a moment, imagining how good it would feel to let him lick her clean.

“No.” She blurted out suddenly, because cracking on the first day had not been in her plan. She opened her eyes and looked down to see that Loki still hadn’t moved.

“Are you sure?” He asked lowly, green eyes staring at her as he blew out a long cold breath that made her tense and bite back a groan. It was such a strange sensation, ice cold but in a way that felt like heaven to her overheated slit. 

“Yeah.” Darcy replied trying to sound strong but probably just sounding sad, and he let out one last breath before standing up over her again.

“Shame.” He said, sounding truly regretful, his eyes still filled with hunger and lust. He leaned back, and she could see the shape of his erection through the loose sweatpants. A sort of choked moan came out of her mouth and it suddenly felt dry with the need to _pull down his pants and suck_.  Darcy slid off of the table, and just avoiding brushing him because she did not need that rubbing against her right now. She grabbed her bag, packing up her things with slightly shaky hands.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Miss Lewis.” He said lowly, humour in his eyes.

“Um, yeah, see you tomorrow.” She said, flushed as she walked to the door, slightly shaky on her feet. _What about my underwear?_ She thought suddenly.

“My underwear?” She asked, attempting some impression of dignity.

“What underwear?” He replied, face innocent except for a smirk at the corner of his mouth. _Well I guess that answers that then._

She wanted to tell him that he was gonna lose this. That there was no way she would be giving in before him. But hearing his low chuckle behind her and feeling it rumble across her skin, even Darcy didn’t believe herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments, as always, you guys are such a pleasure to write for. 
> 
> Next Time: FEM LOKI! And smut, filthy, filthy smut. This stalemate will come to an end soon, just not in the next chapter. ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS ARE SO GREAT! I just came back from my holiday and it’s giving me the warm fuzzies to read all the comments :D  
> This is actual filth, sorry/not sorry. If you’re not into F/F I’d suggest you give this chapter a miss, if you’ve never read any before or aren’t sure, give it a try, you might just enjoy yourself ;) 
> 
> Final cliffhanger I promise, when I update (friday probably), one of them will be giving in so enjoy this bit of UST before it's all over :D

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy entered the lab, as usual and put her bag down on the table. The night had been.... frustrating to say the least. She was still refusing to touch herself when her thoughts were full of him, and the day before, with Loki so close to her, giving in had seemed too tempting. So she had a game plan today – drive him crazy, get him to crack and then ride him till all of her sexual frustration was forgotten. Of course, that all went out of the window pretty quickly. Darcy looked up to see a woman walk in from Lokis’ room. She had long straight black hair that fell down her slim body, and two of the biggest green eyes Darcy had ever seen. She was wearing soft looking sweat pants, and a dark green t-shirt that looked familiar. Her cheekbones were sharp but her jaw was soft and the lips that sat on her face looked soft and plump. She was without a doubt, beautiful. Darcy gawped for a second, confused at this womans appearance in the lab and stood up from the chair.

 “Oh ,um,  sorry, I think I’m in the wrong.....” She trailed off and looked at the woman closer, the disdainful way she looked at Darcy. “Loki?!” Darcy said, and recognising the smirk on her face.

“Miss Lewis.” The woman said, her voice sultry but still familiar. Darcy stared at her for a minute more, before opening her mouth, her heart beating fast.

“Huh?” She said and Loki smirked some more.

“I felt like being a woman today.” Loki said casually, like this was a thing that people could do. Switch genders.  Heck, maybe it was on Asgard. She’d have to ask Thor.

“Ummm, o-kay.” Darcy said slowly, unsure what else she could say to that. “What pro-nouns should I use?” She blurted out suddenly, and then felt intensely stupid because Loki probably didn’t give a shit. In her defence, she was majorly thrown by the change of anatomy that had occurred. Instead of laughing Loki looked at her, head cocked to the side in an eerily good impression of male Loki before speaking.

“Female pronouns will be fine.” She said, watching Darcy carefully for a moment before she turned back to the board. And Darcy was relieved, because Loki as a woman was a whole other level of distracting.  The same sharp cheekbones, the same big green eyes, and the same silky black hair. Her expressions were the same, the way she stood and the way she stared at that board. But the differences were just as jarring. Lokis’ frame was so slender that every roundness felt exaggerated.  She wasn’t wearing a fucking bra. While her tits weren’t big, they were perky and they swung when she turned.  Darcy looked away, flushed and tried to calm her breathing. She shuffled her papers uselessly, resorting them and when Loki turned to glare at her she froze, put them down and grabbed a book. She felt like she was a teenager again with a crush on her teacher. She realised her book was upside down and turned it over, feeling un necessarily flustered. Darcy fanned herself because it suddenly felt too hot in that room, and she shifted her head so it lay down on the desk, facing away from Loki. If she could only avoid looking at her for a minute maybe she could get her head together enough to make it through the day.

“The menopause is such a nasty time for older midgardians. Mood swings, fatigue, hot flushes....” Loki said trailing off, a twitch in her lips as Darcy glared at her.

“You’re not even human, what’s your excuse?” She replied.

“Excuse me?” Loki asked, voice stern in a way that made Darcy press her knees together.

“Mood swings.” She said and stared pointedly at the other woman. Loki glowered at her and then turned away to the board again. They trailed off into silence then, Loki turning back to the board and Darcy starting some new notes. Darcy managed to focus enough to pass the next few hours in relative ease.  She still had extra time to work off, but decided that adding an extra hour or two depending on how the day went would be easiest. Sadly, this meant even more time trying not to watch Loki. Every move she made was so graceful, but still so full of power.  And although Darcy knew it was pretty bad feminism, there was something about submitting to another woman that didn’t feel quite as much like losing control.  That it wouldn’t feel like quite as much of a sacrifice.  So when Loki asked her to do some more notes, or gave her a stern look, Darcy found her heart beating a little faster, her legs pressing a little tighter together. There was something about Loki like this that made her want to bow her head and say ‘Yes Ma’am’ a lot. The thought made her shiver and she tried to ignore the way her heart had picked up.  Darcy had always known she wanted women. She had never bought into the whole ‘pick one side’ school of thought, and she pretty much looked for the same things in either gender – someone who was sassy and would argue back. There was something about strong women that had always attracted Darcy and Loki in this form, was the very definition of a strong woman.

“Where are the notes from yesterday? I need to annotate them.” Loki’s voice drifted through the room,  the sort of voice that made Darcy think of phone sex and being pressed up against a wall. She swallowed thickly, feeling flushed again before answering.

“On the table to the side.” She said, waving an arm blindly while she worked, head down.

“They are in the wrong language, I need them in Swedish.” Loki said sternly and Darcy rolled her eyes, annoyed before looking up.

“I don’t speak Swedish.” She said and was then distracted by the way Loki was leaning over reading the paper, her baggy t-shirt low enough that Darcy had a view of her tits hanging down. Darcy felt her mouth go dry.

“Well I do.” Loki replied, and Darcy jumped, looking up. “Do them again.” Loki ordered, and the way it sounded, the way her voice curled around the words made Darcys’ already frazzled brain short circuit.

“Yes.” Darcy said, managing to bite back the ‘Ma’am’ before it slipped out.  Loki stared at her, surprised that Darcy hadn’t argued back when they both knew she had asked it to piss her off. They looked at each other for a moment, Darcy feeling like a rabbit in the headlights as the woman stared at her. Darcy realised she was very close to giving away just how weak she was with Loki in this form and she stood up suddenly. “I um, I have to go. Do something.” She said, practically scrabbling over herself to get to the door. Loki was looking at her strangely, and Darcy flushed, stumbling over a few books before she swiped her keycard and left the room. She rushed past the guard room, heart pounding as she headed to the elevator. There was no way she was going to win this, not in this state. Not where one look from Loki made her want to give herself over to whatever she was offering. The only way she was going to be able to keep playing the game was if she could  release the tension that had been building since it all began.

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy didn’t even think before she threw herself down onto her bed, lifting her skirt up to slip her fingers in to herself. She imagined being pressed back onto the bed, a light but firm body pressing hers into the sheets. Soft lips tugged at her earlobe, sucking it gently into their mouth before biting softly. Darcy arched back, feeling her breasts rub against another smaller pair, and she lifted her hand up to grab Lokis’ hair. It had pooled over one side where she lay over Darcy, a silk curtain and Darcy wrapped it around her wrist several times before tugging it. The mouth on her ear growled and bit harder so Darcy turned her head, pulling her ear away and kissing Lokis’ mouth. Soft lips met eagerly and Darcy sucked Lokis’ lip into her mouth before biting gently. The kiss intensified, Darcy moving her free hand up the other womans body before reaching her shoulder. Darcy arched up suddenly, pressing her hips against Lokis’ and used her leverage to roll her over and pin Loki to the mattress who growled lowly as Darcys’ body pressed into hers. Rubbing her hip slightly against Lokis’ slit, Darcy heard her let out a soft breathy moan and started to move but Darcy pulled her hair back, letting her lip out of her mouth with a pop to expose her throat. She licked down, nibbling at the corner of Lokis’ mouth before sucking gently on her neck. Her other hand, the one that wasn’t wrapped around her hair, slid beneath Lokis’ knickers and directly through her wet lips. Loki let out a low breath and Darcy moved her lips lower with wet licks as she slipped one finger in. Loki was so wet, and warm slick covered her fingers as she slid another in. Darcy licked the material of her shirt over the nipple, wetting it until it clung to the pebble. She let her warm breath hit it before she opened her mouth and sucked it inside. At the same time, she positioned her thumb so it rubbed against Lokis’ clit, pumping her fingers harder. Darcy suckled on her tit, mouthing it through the material and releasing Lokis’ hair to scrape her nails over her head. Loki tightened around her fingers and Darcy tugged on the nipple once more before releasing it and moving up to look at her. Loki was spread out under her, dark hair and pale skin with her large green eyes closed. Her body arched under Darcys’ hand and her soft pink lips were open and damp. Darcy leaned forward again, this time sucking the other side of her neck as she felt Loki start to tense beneath her. She pushed her fingers faster, twisting them slightly as they slid in and out, eliciting another moan from the Loki. Now Darcy was breathing into her ear, hot and damp, her lips wrapping round the lobe as she rubbed her fingers faster over Lokis’ clit. She licked the lobe, sucking it into her mouth firmly and running her teeth over it  just as Loki came with a heady moan. It was this fantasy that had Darcy close in her own bedroom in the Tower. She could practically feel Lokis’ moans running through her as she rolled her hips, grinding against the hand she had buried in her.  She turned to the side and bit down on the pillow she was laying on to muffle herself as she came hard, squeezing her legs tight around her hands as she rode it out. Panting she released the pillow from between her teeth and lay back on the bed, her hand still clamped between her legs.

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy tried to be careful, to be gentle as she walked in, but there was still a shakiness in her legs from the orgasms that made each step wobbly. She sat down in the lab, keeping her legs apart to avoid her thighs rubbing together, and tried to get her heart rate back down. She had been gone for over an hour on that sudden break, and had come three times. She had straightened herself up before she came back downstairs, wiping the sweat and come from between her legs in the bathroom. Even now, after that, there was still a tenseness inside her that wouldn’t go. That was the problem with starting, sometimes you didn’t want to stop. She saw Lokis’ head lift up from where she had been bent over some papers, green eyes now burning into her blue ones.

“No Thor underwear today?” Loki asked, casually, head tilted to the side, like asking about her underwear choices was normal. Without waiting for the answer she stood up from behind her desk and started prowling slowly towards Darcy.

“No, I’m not wearing any.” Darcy said, carefully watching the way she approached her. “I figured you’d just magic them away anyway. Better to be safe than sorry.” She continued, fully aware that she was babbling a bit.  Loki was still walking forward, a predatory swing in her hips that made heat pool between Darcys already damp legs.  She felt her eyes drift down to Lokis’ lips, to trace the way they moved when she spoke, tuning out what she was actually saying.“Hmm?” She said, raising her eyes to see the moment Lokis’ face changed. Her face suddenly shifted, from confusion to a seductive smile that stretched across her lips. _Fuck_ Darcy thought, because that look was only just bearable on the average day, let alone when it had heavy lidded eyes and pouting lips. Loki had walked around and was now resting her arms on the table in front of her.

“I said, you smell like sex.” Loki said, voice sultry and Darcy froze, shame and excitement rushing through her at having been caught.

“Do I?” Darcy said lowering her head to hide the way her skin had flushed. Loki hummed in confirmation  and tapped her nails against the table.

“You touched yourself.” Loki accused, her eyes tracing up Darcys body as a hungry smile grew on her face. Darcy suddenly felt a lot like prey, and scrambled off of the chair.

“What were you thinking about?” She said, green eyes fixed on her. “When you touched yourself.” And the way she said it made Darcys’ breathing a bit heavier. Darcy thought about lying but she’d never been any good at it. She took a breath and licked her lips nervously, still backing away from the feral woman.

“You.” She admitted, and Lokis’ eyes darkened even as her smile got bigger, all teeth.

“In this body?” She asked, her face turning intense. Darcy gulped because dirty talking was pretty much what she wanted to avoid with Loki, most of all when she had a voice like that and that hunger in her eyes.  Darcy hit the wall and realised she had been backed  up against it. Her heart beat fast as she watched Loki approach her and she nodded shakily.

“What was I doing to you?” She asked, her voice low and seductive, travelling straight to Darcys clit. But the way she said it, assuming that even in Darcys’ fantasies she would be in control pissed her off.  Darcy shook herself mentally, suddenly knowing that she had to take back control of this before it got out of hand.

“Have you ever been eaten out?” She asked suddenly, and watched Lokis’ face frown before she caught the meaning, a smile stretching across her face.

“Like this?” She asked, gesturing to her body. “Some time ago.” Loki moved faster then, put her arms either side of Darcy, caging her as she and stared down at her. “Was that what I was doing to you?” Darcy tensed, feeling how close their bodies were to each other. Close enough that one move forward would have her rubbing her tits against Lokis’. Darcy took a shallow breath and forced herself to relax against the wall, staring into Lokis’ eyes hard now.

“If I was gonna eat you out,” She said casually and watched Loki blink in surprise. “I’d lean you back against this wall.” She rested her head back, looking straight into Lokis’ downturned face now. Loki was a little shorter like this, but she still towered over Darcy. She looked down on her and Darcy didn’t doubt she had a spectacular view of her tits. Darcy licked her lips before she carried on, a shiver of anticipation going through her.

“I’d slide these pants down,” Darcy said, reaching down to tug lightly on the ties holding them up, still keeping eye contact. “past your hips until they landed on the floor.” She pulled on the tie, tugging and Loki moved forward, one leg sliding just between Darcys open ones. “I’d kneel down, so that you could feel my breath against you and slide your panties down.” Lokis’ breath came faster and Darcy felt excitement build in her. How was she this wet again already?

“My other hand,” Darcy said, and tracing her hand up the side of her own body. “it would be sliding up your shirt. “ She slipped it under her own jumper,  to rub at her nipple over her bra. Lokis’ eyes travelled down and stopped at the hand where it was moving beneath her jumper. She licked her lips gently and then lifted them to stare at Darcy.

“I’d grab your nipple, and I’d tug because I bet you like that sort of thing.” She pulled on her own nipple as she did this and saw Loki shift as Darcy bit back a moan. She wanted to touch her so badly, to grind against her leg and come moaning into her ear but she knew Loki had to be the one to give in first. The realisation of exactly what she was doing hit her.  But she knew that if she didn’t, Loki was just going to get the upper hand again. Darcy paused for a second, nervous then and she started sliding her other one down towards the hem of her skirt. The movement distracted Loki, and she leant back from where she was leaning over Darcy to watch her hand. Darcy bit her lip, nervous excitement rushing through her. There was something about touching herself under her clothes that always got Darcy off.

“I’d put your leg on my shoulder, and slide my fingers through your lips.” Darcy said, sliding her hand under her skirt and down through her folds. She gasped slightly, when instead of looking to watch Loki looked straight into her eyes. It felt electric, feeling how wet she was, with Loki staring right at her as she touched herself. She wondered how wet Loki was. How it would feel to slide her fingers through her and reach up into that wet heat. She let out a breathy moan and felt Loki tense in front of her, her breath coming faster. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back.

“I’d lick you once, to taste you. And then I’d start to tease. Little licks, but not where you really want them.” Doing the same with her fingers, Darcy gasped when they grazed her clit.. Darcy opened her eyes and glanced down to see Lokis’ nipples had hardened enough to poke through the thin cotton of her shirt. She got a flashback to earlier, wanted to lick the fabric until it stuck to them and bite. This must have been obvious from her face because she heard Loki swallow slightly and Darcy dragged her eyes up to meet hers. Loki was watching her with want in her eyes as she dragged her teeth over her lip.

“Can you imagine what it would feel like?” Darcy asked, almost conversationally. Like she wasn’t rubbing her fingers over her clit. She didn’t wait for Loki to respond before she carried on.

“My breath against your thigh, warm tongue lapping at you.”  Darcy said shakily, little gasps coming out as she rubbed herself, getting closer to the edge. She ran her tongue across her lips and saw Loki take a unsteady breath, eyes intense.

 “My wet lips sucking your clit into my mouth.” She said and she heard Loki let out a small breathy moan that made her groan. She moved her hand lower, other hand still playing with her nipple, and slid two fingers back and inside herself. She let out a breath at the feeling, the slight stretch before the heat took her in.  The angle wasn’t ideal, she’d rather have been laying back on a bed again, but the hunger on Lokis’ face was worth it.

“I’d push my tongue into you,” She pushed her fingers further in. “to see if you taste different there.” Darcy looked up at her, sliding her fingers in and out, faster now. The slick sound filled the room and Darcy might have been embarrassed if Loki didn’t look just as turned on as she was.

“I’d lick,” A gasp broke her words up. “and lick,” This time there was a small groan as her other hand twisted her nipple tighter. “until you came.” She said and Lokis’ eyes were like saucers, feral and large as she watched Darcy.

“And then, I’d lick up the mess you made, and do it all again.” Darcy said, feeling close to the edge.  She was right where one more touch would send her over the edge and Loki could see it.  It took more effort than she expected to pull her fingers out and remove her hand from her nipple.  Her clit protested violently, and the feeling of being so close and stopping made her bite her lip.  She kept eye contact with Loki where she was watching her. Lokis’ whole body was tense, and they were both breathing heavily. All Darcy wanted was to push her to the floor and sit on her face but she knew Loki had to be the one to give in.

“Submit.” Darcy said, her voice strong even though she was still panting slightly. She smoothed her skirt back down one handed. “And I’ll do more than just talk about it.” Darcy said and lifted her hand, the one that had been in her just a moment ago, and slid the wet digits into her mouth. She sucked them slowly, imagining the taste was Loki as they stared each other out, Loki watching with glazed eyes the place where her fingers disappeared. She pulled them out with a pop, wiping her fingers on her skirt and waited. Loki let out a breathy groan and Darcy stared, surprised at the sensuality as Loki leaned to one side, pressing her head against her hand and letting the other hand drop.  Their faces were so close together, all Darcy had to do was lean across, tilt her head and take her mouth in hers. Instead she waited quietly for Loki to speak, needing her to say it.

“Leave.” Loki said quietly, eyes closed and her words half muffled by her hand. Darcy opened her mouth surprised. She had been so sure this was it, that she would finally give in to Darcy.

“What?” Darcy said angrily.

“Leave.” Loki said, turning her head to fix Darcy with hard green eyes, something like desperation around the edges. Her grip on the wall was tighter and Darcy could see how close she was to losing control. How much that scared her. Despite everything, they had both been respectful of each other so far. She wanted to push it that bit further, she knew how close Loki was to giving in, instead she took a steadying breath of her own, nodded and weaved around her to grab her bag. She picked it up carefully, straightening herself up before she turned towards Loki.

“See you tomorrow then.” She said quietly and Loki nodded from where she was still facing the wall. As Darcy got past the guards the shock started to fade and happiness started to bubble up inside of her. Because if that was all it took, it wouldn’t be much longer before Loki gave in completely. So let her have that day to adjust. To accept that Darcy would not be the one submitting here. Tomorrow Darcy wouldn’t be giving up quite so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter should make it clear but I’ve always thought of Darcy as firmly bisexual, with more of a lean towards dominant personalities. Loki is just Loki, a little genderfluid if there has to be a term for it but pretty much sexy in every form ;) Next chapter will return to Loki as normal, but depending on the reaction this gets it might not be the last time we see Fem Loki, and if she’s back, she’ll definitely be domming.
> 
> Next time: SUBMISSION!!! ACTUAL TOUCHING!!! One of them finally cracks :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the monster chapter but it really got away from me :D  
> Thank you for the comment, kudos and reads as always, they mean so much and all you guys are so awesome :D I love the reaction to FemLoki, I will definitely be bringing her back at some point in the future ;)
> 
> THEY ARE FINALLY GETTING IT ON! Woop! I would just like to thank everyone who has stuck with this so far, I really only meant the build up to be a few chapters but I guess I really like sexual tension :D
> 
> There is actual skin to skin contact in this one as well you lucky things, what more could you ask for? After this chapter I will be throwing smut in every which way, and it will have a much firmer lean towards domination/submission so be warned. Anyway, enjoy ;D

 

 

* * *

 

The next day, Darcy walked into the labs, a smile on her face and a coffee in her hand to find Loki back to being a man again. She had mixed feelings about this –Loki as a woman was just the right mix of intimidating and hot but there was something in Darcy that was relieved at not having to face such a dominant woman again. Deciding she was pleased at this change of gender, Darcy figured it would hardly take a couple of ‘accidental’ button pops before she had him calling her ‘Ma’am’. That might have worked, but Loki as well as being a bloke, was also sulking. Loki, when he sulked didn’t quite pout, but it was a near thing. His jaw was set, lips out and his eyebrows down in a deep frown. If he hadn’t been a murderer Darcy would have even called it cute. As it was, it managed to completely cock up her plans of breaking hjm that day.  He just refused to look at her. Or talk to her. The day was spent in silence which Darcy found amusing to begin with but just annoying by the end. For a god of lies his irritation was surprisingly easy to get a read on – he had never anticipated that he might be the one to give in. The whole situation had put him in a position that he wasn’t used to and he was dealing with it like a child instead of just admitting she was going to be the one in charge. But whatever, Darcy could be patient. Well, patient-ish. He sulked for the next three days, ignoring everything she did – and at one point she was literally bent over in front of him ‘picking up her pen’.  Unfortunately, by the time the fourth day came, Darcy realised he was actually using it as more  time to strategise than anything else.

She walked in to hear the soft sounds of a guitar playing through the lab. For a moment, she wondered if she had left her ipod the day before, but she could feel it’s cool weight in her hand. Darcy looked around as she set up at her usual table and saw the source of the music. Loki was sitting on the sofa at the back of the room playing a guitar. His hands flew over the strings, pulling them gently as a melody drifted towards her. It was beautiful, gentle and she wouldn’t have thought him capable if she wasn’t watching him with her own eyes. She watched him for a few more minutes, getting lost in the sounds he was making. Darcy had always loved musicians. It lay somewhere between envy with what they could do and admiration for the skill they had. There was something entrancing about watching him, his fingers move and the strings thrum. She stared at him for a while longer, something like contentment blooming in her before she started her work. He carried on playing, and she carried on working for most of her shift, the hours passing faster than usual with the calming background music. It was such a turn from the week before  and Darcy decided if this always followed grumpy Loki she would work harder to piss him off in the future. After a while, she started to recognise the melody he was playing, different from the other indecipherable pieces. Darcy hummed along, trying to pinpoint the song when a voice joined the guitar. Her head shot up, and she found him staring at her with arresting green eyes while he sang. His voice was husky, a bit gravelly and it sent tingles through her spine. Hairs stood up on her arms as she realised the song he was singing. It wasn’t exactly the same as even the cover version she had played before, but the changed lyrics made her heart beat faster.

 

 

_I want your love_

_I want your disease_

_I want you open mouthed_

_And on your knees_

_I want your love_

_Love love love_

_I want your love_

_I want your drama_

_The touch of your hand_

_I want you leather choked and cuffed to my hand_

_And I want your love_

_Love love love_

_I want your love_  
  


 

Because of course he would remember that song. Even though she had only played it once, and tried to keep her reaction to a minimum, of course he would have seen how her thighs pressed together at the lyrics, how she had trouble reading the words on the page in front of her.  Hearing him sing those words to her, the intention clear behind every syllable, every drawn out growl in his voice, made her shiver. His eyes were so intense as he carried on singing, the words blurring but the meaning clear. She felt trapped, watching him watching her. There was something so intimate about being sung too. It made Darcy feel like she was the vulnerable one, like she couldn’t hide her reaction to every word he said. He finished the song and let the last notes of the guitar ring out to silence.  It was odd, if anyone else had sung to her Darcy would have said it was romantic, but from him it just felt like another way he was marking his territory. Like this was a challenge she had to rise to or else she would crumble. There was anticipation in the air, a pressure between both of them as she waited for him to say something.

“On your knees.”  He ordered, standing up from the sofa and stalking closer to her. Her legs actually twitched a bit at the command, and she was glad she was sitting down. Loki smirked even as he walked forward.

“I have work to do.” She said shakily.

“Yes you do.” He agreed, “On. Your. Knees.” It was so difficult not to just give in. When he was standing there with such confidence, such power, a sort of calm that came with knowing you were going to get what you want. Her eyes flickered down to his crotch, to the outline of his semi-hard dick visible there. It would be the easiest thing to kneel. To let him slide his hand into her hair and bring her wet lips to him.

“You’re not that good at singing.” She said, dragging her eyes away and turning to her work. Darcy heard him chuckle lightly and the sound tickled her skin.

“Yes, I am.” Loki replied, a smile in his voice as he stopped next to her desk, looking down on her. He tapped on the table next to her and Darcy tried to focus on her breathing instead of the feel of his body so close to hers.  “On your knees, Miss Lewis,” His voice was low as he leant into her. “and I’ll sing you all the dirty songs you want.” Darcy squeezed her eyes against his voice.

“No. Thank you.” She got out, a small part of her proud at resisting, but the rest of her just mad to be turning him away. She could practically feel his raised eyebrow and the way his lips would purse in amusement but she didn’t look over to check.

“Very well.” He said. “Tomorrow.” His voice was so sure, and she couldn’t help but admire his confidence. And his arse.

The next day he played an acoustic version of Closer by Nine Inch Nails. She plugged her own headphones in to block out the music but his voice still got through, rough tones that made her legs twitch. Every time she glared at him his eyes were dark and lust-filled enough to captivate her again. That was until he ended the song and told her once again to get on her knees. She answered him by flipping him the bird.

The day after he played again for nearly the full day without singing. The whole day Darcy had felt tense, waiting for him to start singing again. As soon as she had finally given up, finally started to relax he broke out into a slow, seductive version of ‘Sweet Dreams’. He must have gotten the music from her ipod but she had never heard any of the songs like this before. “On your knees.” He said again, and this time she didn’t even acknowledge him, just slammed her notes down, picked up her bag and left. When she went home, turned on and angry she had the songs drifting in and out of her head, and he seemed to have picked all the kinky ones deliberately. The words were promises that all she had to do was say yes to. This was not her field. Flirting she could deal with, even a bit of not so innocent touching but when he played she had no way to match him. Her plan to win him over wasn’t going so well any more.

By the third day she was sick of it. So, in the middle of a ridiculously sexy adaptation of ‘Addicted to love’ Darcy undid her bra, slipped it out of her sleeve (no easy feat), walked over to him and lifted her shirt. His hands paused over the guitar, the song dying in his throat as he stared at her (admittedly glorious) tits. After a moment, she reached over, plucked the guitar from his loose hands and turned to smash it against the floor. The guitar was surprisingly light in her hands, but as she swung it against the ground the noise was still very satisfying. Standing, now with just the neck and some strings attached she dropped it onto the floor, and looked over to Lokis’ face. His eyes were no longer glazed, instead he looked torn between being pissed off and finding her hilarious.

“No more.” She said simply, going back to her desk and sitting down. “You sing again and I’ll quit, and then neither of us will win.” He seemed to assess her threat for a moment. She watched his face and there was something like respect in his eyes as he nodded. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part.

 

* * *

 

 

“If we were fucking right now I would pull your hair back and screw you against that wall.” He said casually one day while they were working in the lab. It took Darcy a moment for her to realise what he had said and she looked up to find him still looking down at his papers.

“What?” She asked, confused and slightly flushed. Loki answered, facing down, still sorting through the sheets.

“I said ‘If we were fucking right now I would pull your hair back and screw you against that wall.’” He said it so casually, almost as if he was bored. She just blinked at him, lost for words to reply. Those words in that voice, with that accent made her  Her breath was coming faster at the image of it, and she could almost feel his hand in her hair, face pressed against the hard concrete as he filled her. She forced herself to breath, and tried to take on an air of nonchalance as she pretended to get on with her own work.

“If we were fucking right now,” Darcy corrected, voice less shaken than she felt “your hands would be tied together. You wouldn’t be _allowed_ to pull anything.” She saw him stiffen out of the corner of her eyes. He remained silent. They carried on with their day. And so the surprise dirty talk started. One of them, at some parts of the day, in between the ‘pass me that sheet’ or ‘do you know where the finished notes are?’ would slip in a line of filth to throw the other one off. It worked best when the other person was busy, or lost in thought so that it took a moment for the words to sink in. A moment for the blood to rush somewhere else and for their mouth to go dry. Up until then, Darcy would have said she reached her limit for self restraint, that the sexual tension between them was at breaking point. But she really underestimated both of their stubbornness.

“I’d pin you up against that desk and fuck you until we broke it.” He said as she walked in one morning, making her trip over a book pile.

“I’d sit on your face, and not let you breathe until I came.”  She said with a polite smile as she passed over some finished notes.

“I would have you gagged, and wet, tied to that table leg.” He said, pointing to said table leg while he stared at that fucking board again.

“I’d suck your dick until you came on me, and then make you lick it up.” She said, a day later when she came back from lunch.

“I would bend you over, slip my fingers into you and spank you until you came.” He growled one day, in the middle of an argument they were having. Darcy had to take a second to breathe, to look away from the invitation on his face and the images in her head before she tried to remember what she had been shouting about.

Every time he spoke, every time he took her by surprise this tingling would rush over her skin. This rush, like the words he said were touches. Just from one sentence it would spell out whole scenes in her head. It was so graphic that she couldn’t control her reaction – her legs tightening, breath getting faster and a heat pooling between her legs. She tried to act unaffected, but she could tell it was getting to him just as much. They argued more, both of them using it as an excuse to be near the other. The only way they could get out the tension without actually snapping. After she would have to leave for a few hours, blood boiling and dampness between her thighs. It was torture, except she knew that she could end it at any time if she just gave in. Darcy sat in her bedroom that night, eyes closed, laying back against the soft mattress. The frustration that always built up around him sat low in her belly, and she wanted to angry cry just to try and feel better. It had been a week and a half since she thought she’d cracked him. A week and a half of teasing and tempting but still nothing. Darcy suddenly saw how the rest of her time with him would go. How the next few months would stretch without either of them breaking. The teasing would carry on, the frustration, but nothing would come of it because they were both too damn stubborn. The thought that she could end her time working with him without so much as a kiss made parts of her growl angrily. She was tired of these fucking games. Tired of having to resist his advances, of trying to make him give in. All she wanted was to fuck him, and at that moment, laying on that bed, she couldn’t think of a good reason why she shouldn’t.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I left some things in there.” She said, not even stopping at the guard station just heading straight to the lab door.

“And you have to pick them up now?” One of the guards asked, one from the night-shift that Darcy didn’t know. She turned and stared at the woman, giving her her best ‘are you fucking questioning me?’ face she had picked up from Loki. The guard blanched and typed something on the keypad, letting the doors unlock.

“Thankyou.” Darcy said politely. She walked through the door and found Loki standing by the board. He already had his eyes on her as she entered, intense in the dimness of the room. His gaze went over her, and Darcys’ skin tingled.

“I left some things in here.” She said slowly, feeling her heart beat a little faster. “I need to pick them up.” She continued  and then glancing at one of the cameras obviously. He watched her intently, following her gaze and then nodding slightly. If whatever they were going to do would work, she needed to trust him to keep it between them.  Suddenly it was like all the tension from the past months was between them. The air was electric, her palms tingling with the need to be touching some part of him. Darcy didn’t know what this meant for the game they had been playing, but at that point she didn’t care.  She walked forward, calmer than she felt and stood close in front of him. She reached a hand up slowly, and ran his fingers along the edge of his jaw. His skin was smooth and a bit colder than she might have expected. They were both watching each other, her hand feeling like it was on fire from where it was touching him. She ran her hand back, around the back of his neck and slid her fingers through his soft hair, scraping her nails slightly as she did. He made a small grunting sound, both of them sort of frozen by the moment. Then she laced her fingers further into his hair and tugged him down to her lips. They touched, a soft brush and then neither of them were holding back. His hands found her hips, and her hair in turn, both of them pulling and holding as they kissed. His lips were soft, and wet as he licked into her mouth, not wasting time. She felt him pull her hair back, tilting her head and she opened her mouth to let him in. His tongue was skilled as it rubbed against hers, his lips hard on her mouth. She let out a groan when he pulled away, and then a breathy moan as he bit down on her lip and tugged. Her body was completely pressed against his, she could feel his erection rubbing against her bare thighs and she wanted so badly to slant her hips and let him in. She pushed her hip against him, trying to get some friction and heard him grunt. One of his hands unlaced from her hair and reached between them to start undoing the buttons of her cardigan. He flicked them off easily, and slid his hand across her bare skin. She hissed as his hand worked upwards to cup one of her breasts, finding her nipple through the fabric and rubbing it hard. They broke from the kiss, breathing hard to look at each other. His gaze was so strong as he stared at her,  his fingers slipped into the cup, pulling her breast out and he grabbed her nipple and twisted. She let out a loud moan, her mouth slack and watched his eyes darken before he  ducked his head to her neck. He pulled her hair back again, exposing it to him and he sucked on the bare skin he found there. He released her nipple, letting the blood flow back into it for a moment before twisting again. She gasped, and felt him sucking harder on her neck. She untangled her hands from his hair and fisted them in the front of his shirt, trying ineffectually to get him to take it off. He ignored her and lifted his face from her neck to her lips again. They kissed again, rougher this time and she pulled the front of his shirt again, this time to hold him closer. He squeezed her nipple once more, this time making her moan into his open mouth. She lifted the shirt, more insistently this time and he growled back at her, a sound that travelled through both of them and straight between her legs. He broke the kiss, ripping the shirt up and off of him. As soon as it was off he was kissing her again and she ran her hands down between them, tracing his abs and pecs while they kissed. They were out of breath again when he pulled away, and she thought she might get a second to recover before he fixed his lips on her neck again, kissing his way up from the bottom to suck on her ear lobe. Her hands spasmed where they were on his bare chest, tracing her nails across it. He let her ear out of his mouth with a pop and a hint of teeth before speaking hot, low words.

“You submit?” He asked, hand back on her breast again, squeezing it on just the right side of pleasure. Darcy moved forward against him, trying to get him to move to the sofa behind them. Of course that was about as likely to happen as her moving Thor without him wanting to. Frustrated she turned her head to him, wanting to take his lips in her teeth but he stopped her with a sharp tug on her hair. “You submit?” He repeated, eyes intensely watching her, something close to a smug look behind the feral eyes. And that pissed Darcy off. She had been happy to just fuck his brains out, to relieve the tension both of them felt without making it about power. But he was pushing her, and if he needed one of them to give in, it sure as fuck wasn’t gonna be her. Darcy stared right back at him, raising a hand to her face and spitting in her palm before she slipped it down, under his sweatpants to grip him firmly.  He let out a sharp breath and she saw his resolve shake slightly. He twisted her nipple slightly and she had to bite her lip to keep the groan in. Her hand gripped him tighter, and she slid it slowly up the shaft, twisting her fist at the end just before his head and releasing the pressure slightly. His pupils were blown out, and she set her jaw, determined to look strong instead of just lust crazed. They stared at each other and she spoke in a quiet voice.

“Do you want me to stop?” Darcy asked, and she slid her hand back down his shaft again. The room was silent except for the sound of their hot breath in their stand-off. He tugged on her hair and she ran her thumb along the slit at the top of his dick, feeling when his legs shook slightly.  She leaned forward, closer to his now wide eyes and growled before speaking. “I said, do you want me to stop?” They stared each other out, his hand still in her hair and on her tit. He tugged slightly on her nipple again, and she gave a sharp warning tug of her own that made him release a sharp breath. His green eyes were so intense Darcy wanted to look away but knew that she couldn’t.

“No.” He gritted out, and she could tell it took a lot for him to say that. Darcy stared at him, amazed that he had actually given in. She spoke, letting out the controlling tone she always wanted to take with him.

“Then sit down, put your hands by your sides, keep quiet and let me fuck you.” His pupils got even wider and with one last twist, he let go of her nipple and her hair, unwrapping it from his wrist. They were both breathing hard, and watching each other and Darcy pushed forward on his chest with one hand, letting his dick slide in her hand with the other. His eyes glazed slightly as he walked back, his knees bumping the edge of the sofa and she pushed down, releasing his cock completely to get him to sit down. He sat down, and she finally got a full view of him. His hair had fallen over his face, lips pink and wet as he traced his tongue over them. His bare chest was lean and he had surprisingly broad shoulders before they tapered off to slender hips. There was a trail of hair running from his belly button before meeting the hair around his now hard dick. It was long, not too thick, uncut with a pink head. She could see pre-come leaking from the tip and she wanted to bend over and taste. Her eyes stopped her staring to meet his. Loki was watching her as well. She realised she must look ridiculous, hair mussed, lipstick all over the place and with half a tit out of her bra but the hunger on his face made her insides burn. “Hands by your side.” She said, still taking him in with awe. Darcy could see the struggle he was having, knew the struggle herself, taking orders from someone. She also knew it was so worth it in the long run. “By your side.” She repeated and his jaw ticked but he moved them so they rested against the back of the sofa as he leant back. She smirked, because of course he wouldn’t do exactly what she said but at that point she didn’t care.  She reached back, stripping off the cardigan and unclasping her bra from behind. She took it off, throwing it to one side and she saw the awe on his face as both of her tits fell free. She saw his hands twitch, and knew he wanted to be touching them. She slipped off her shoes, feeling her tits swing as she bent over. She was now wearing just a skirt, having given up on wearing underwear around him a long time ago. She unzipped it now, and felt the material brush against her leg as she let it fall. Her hair flopped over to one side and she rested a hand on his shoulder before lifting a leg and straddling him. She sat just in front of his hard dick, not quite touching it but close enough to make both of them feel tense. She leaned forward and gave in, taking just the head into her mouth for a quick suck before running her tongue down the slit. He groaned and bucked slightly, letting his head flop back. Darcy released him with a wet pop and swallowed the taste of him down. He was watching her again, eyes hungry and hands grabbing the back edge of the sofa. Her breath was fast and she rested a hand on his shoulder again before positioning herself over him. She grabbed the base of his dick to hold it steady and felt him tense. They both looked down, watching her hold herself over him. Darcy lowered slowly, and brushed her wet lips over his cock. They both groaned, still watching and she rubbed the head just at her entrance, feeling it gather the slickness there before rubbing it up through the folds. When it found her clit she let out a small moan and Loki closed his eyes. His whole body was tense, and it was obvious he hated not being the one in charge. That the slow pace she was setting was driving him crazy. She filed that away for later, and finally let his head sink into her wet pussy. It had been a while since she’d been with anyone, but she was possibly the wettest she’d been in her life so she wasn’t too worried about taking him. She let the tip of him in, feeling a slight but pleasant stretch at the way he filled her up. Darcy sunk down a bit further, still gripping his shoulder for leverage and gasped at the way he sat hot and heavy between her legs. He was like granite, rock hard and she let herself take a bit more of him in before she swirled her hips around him. They both groaned, and she let go of his dick to grip his other shoulder and spread her knees a tiny bit wider. She lowered down more, and she wasn’t really trying to tease him, not really, but Loki didn’t seem to agree with the slow pace. He growled and widened his legs beneath her, stretching hers further apart. Darcy dropped down, taking in more of him again, making them both groan. Darcy clamped her legs shut as hard as she could around his thighs. This of course did nothing, but did make him stop.

“Did I say you could move?” She panted, staring at him, ignoring the way she could feel his dick twitching in her. Loki stared back and she saw his jaw twitch, his hands tense against the sofa. She waited.

“No.” He got out slowly. _No what?_ She wanted to ask, but thought it might be a bit too soon for that, even if the thought of him calling her ma’am made her wetter. They stared each other out for a bit longer and then he finally relaxed his legs, let her close hers further around his. Darcy felt a sudden surge of victory, an even stronger one of lust and opened her legs fully, bottoming out on him. He filled her completely, and she was out of breath as she took a second to adjust to the feeling. She was leant forward, face buried into his neck as she recovered. Darcy rolled her hips, grinding down onto him and _felt_ his groan from where she was leaning on his chest. It felt so good when she moved, a heat building between her legs where he was reaching inside her. She spread her legs further again, and lifted up before slamming back down onto him. Letting out the moan that built up she gripped his shoulder tightly, nails digging into the skin. Darcy ground down again, chasing the friction on her clit. She was close already, the whole of her time working with him seeming like foreplay now. She kissed him roughly, and he panted into her mouth as she moved faster. Sliding her fingers through his soft hair, she bared his neck as he did to her and licked his neck, finding his pulse point. She clamped her lips there and gave the skin long licks, hearing his curse in some other language. All she could focus on was the heat between the both of them, how her pussy was clamping down on him, the feeling of something hot and hard in her. Darcy stopped kissing his neck and reached and arm down to scratch his nipples, loving the way his hips bucked into her. She leant back, supporting herself on his knees now to find the angle that would get her there. After a couple of experimental grinds she found it, swearing sharply when she landed on that point that felt like stars. She mumbled out a curse and felt herself on the edge. Darcy focussed on Loki again and saw him with such intensity in her eyes she clench around him tighter, making him let out a groan that had him fisting his hands in the sofa again. “Come.” She ordered, breath hot in his ear and Darcy could feel him tense beneath her. Her orgasm was just on the edges but she had enough foresight to bury her face in his neck before she came, trying to smother her moan. She didn’t know how much it worked but it certainly did something for Loki. A few grinds later she felt a hot wet heat inside her as he came on a groan, dick pumping into her. Her head was still laying on his chest, hands gripping his shoulders when she lifted herself up a minute later, her heart calming now. Darcy rolled off of him, resting to the side but still breathing hard. She felt dazed and a bit worn out, but the heat was still there between her legs, the urge to chase another orgasm. Instead she closed her eyes, took a steadying breath and tried to get her heart rate down.

After a minute or two she opened her eyes to find Loki, not where he had been. He had pulled up his sweatpants and was now half turned towards her, watching intently. It was where he was watching that had the most effect on her. His eyes were down to her bare pussy, where his warm come was dripping out of her. Loki licked his lips and looked like he was going to lean forward, but stopped himself, looking up at her. She stared back for a second, confused by the look in his eyes, the hunger, the determination but also something like begrudging hesitancy. Darcy suddenly realised he was asking for permission. Her mouth went dry because that, that was more than even she had asked for. Lord save her from obedient men. She nodded, and a second later he had slid her back on the sofa and had his face buried in between her legs. Darcy squealed in surprise and his tongue started long wet licks up her slit. His hands wrapped under her thighs to clasp over her stomach, pinning her down on the sofa and stopping her from moving. Then his tongue dipped down, to the inside of her thighs, licking the mess there, sucking on the skin. She twitched and tried to wriggle away because it was so intense but he just carried on. Darcy moaned when she felt his hot tongue slip into her hole.  She wanted to slide her fingers through his hair, to tell him how good he was being but at that point she was having trouble forming words. She was already too sensitive from her last orgasm, she wouldn’t have thought she could come again so soon but the feel of his tongue on her was just the right side of too much. He lifted his head up breathing hard, eyes fixing on hers and she could see the wetness on his lips even in the half light. He kept eye contact and gave her a long lick up, tongue running over her clit.  She shivered at his gaze, being spread completely open in front of him but unable to look away. He let out a cold breath straight on her and Darcy felt her eyes roll back a bit when her replaced it with his hot mouth. His lips were directly on her clit now, leaving small kisses and then they opened, sucking it into his mouth gently, tongue rolling over it. She let out a breathy moan, noise catching as he licked harder again right over her. It was too much, the sensation and the way his hands were clamped down, keeping her there. She was so close, each lick feeding the tension in her. He licking got slower but firmer, pressing between her lips but always hitting her clit and suddenly her orgasm was there. She came, and he rode it out with her, licking her gently through it. The orgasm was stronger than before, longer lasting because he seemed to know just how to make it last. She could feel her pussy clenching, and her mouth was fixed in a silent o as she came down. He was still licking her and she suddenly realised he wouldn’t fucking stop until she told him to. Her pussy clenched at the thought but she was quickly becoming oversensitive. She pushed at his head and he gave her one last lick that made her knees twitch before releasing her. He sat up, kneeling back with such a look of deep satisfaction, such smugness that she wanted to punch him. Or maybe just sit on his face again. He smiled, wiping his mouth with one hand and she rolled her eyes before moving to stand up. She definitely ignored his smug face when she felt her knees wobble. She started picking up her clothes, putting on her bra quickly before her skirt. Loki was watching her, leaning back on the sofa, his eyes now hungry again, and that was really difficult to turn away from. Darcy picked up her cardigan and started buttoning it up with shaky hands. The urge to go back to him, to sit on his lap and do it all again was making her twitchy. He smirked like he knew what she was thinking. She ignored him in favour of taking off her glasses.

“I’ve been in here way too long to just have picked up something I forgot.” She realised as she cleaned her glasses with the edge of her cardigan.  Loki shrugged, eyes still roaming.

“Tell them we got into an argument again.”

“I don’t think I normally look like this after we argue.” She pointed out with an eye roll.

“I don’t know, there is something similar about it.” She stared at him and resisted poking her tongue out. His eyes linger on her neck for a second before they went back to hers, something mischievous in them.

“What?” She asked, self conscious suddenly.

“I thought you wanted me to beg.” He said and Darcy let out a surprised laugh, walking towards the door.

“Next time.” She said, stopping to pick up her bag from the floor. She thought about saying something else, but sex etiquette had never been her thing. “Night.” Darcy said, not looking back at him.

“Good night Miss Lewis.” He replied, laughter in his voice, and she tried not to think that this had been his plan all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!
> 
> This chapter was more of a struggle than I anticipated. I hope it lives up to all of the tension but if it doesn’t don’t worry, I’ve got some pretty filthy things lined up ;)  
> So I realise it may not be crystal clear, but Loki is definitely the one giving in. It will get clearer from here on in but I needed there to be a bit of grey area for this chapter. For those of you more on the Loki topping Darcy team don’t worry, she will be getting her turn. It might not be for a while, depending on how much inspiration I find for her taking charge.
> 
> Oh, and the lyrics are from 30 seconds to mars’ cover of bad romance. I’m not a huge 30stm fan, but the change in the lyrics in the first two verses, with Jared Letos’ voice...... nrgh......  
> Next Time: Minor feels/ actual talking and then smutty goodness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments, reads, likes are always appreciated, they keep me going when I’m totally stuck :D  
> I realise the last few might have been slightly ooc, or at least not as much snark cause i got swept up in the sexytimes. I have quite a few ideas for Darcy domming, but if anyone has any ideas or requests I would be more than happy to consider them ;D  
> Apparently when it comes to sex between these two I love massive chapters, so I’ll probably update less but longer? We’ll see how the next few write themselves :D

* * *

 

 

It took her a moment in the morning, sun on her face and legs tangled in the sheets, to remember the exact cause of the ache between her thighs. It came back to her slowly – images of him beneath her, black hair fanned out accompanied by low groans. And then all at once she remembered what she’d done. _Who_ she’d done. Darcy groaned and rolled onto her front, burying her face in the pillow. It had been such a bad thing to do. She felt like the last month of flirting and teasing had left them both so lusty she hadn’t thought things through properly. Darcy made it a rule to never regret sex. Especially sex that was that good. But there was a feeling of guilt in her about the night before, like she had done a bad thing, and not in the sexy way. Laying there on the bed, Darcy  wondered about the ethics of it, what they had done, might still be doing. The fact that he was meant to be being punished and instead she was fucking him. Which was like a reward more than anything. But she had to trust Thor when he said that Loki really was a better person underneath. That it wasn’t such a horrible thing to do what they both wanted. Maybe him giving in would let him let down his defences enough to show her that. She pretended that was the reason she was doing this, not just that she wanted him like she wanted coffee. Darcy knew he would be resistant today, no longer fuck drunk, he wouldn’t give in that easily. So she figured on easing him into it, seducing him again, taking the time she didn’t yesterday. All that went out the window when she saw her neck. She was at the mirror, having washed and dried her hair and now painting on some eyeliner when she saw them. Three red marks sporadically placed on her neck. Circles that had actually fucking bruised a little and she ran her fingers over them to find them sore. A part of her enjoyed the possessiveness of the gesture. The way he had marked her. The rest of her was just pissed. Darcy heard herself let out a hiss of breath and then she grabbed some cover-up and smeared it on, muttering as she did so. She had a hard enough time walking past the guards last night, she really didn’t need them to see something else they could gossip about. When she finally headed down to the labs she was pissed. She stormed past the guards, hoping her cover up was effective and walked into the lab. He was sitting, at a desk, and he looked up as soon as she came in.

“You gave me a hicky.” She said, angrily. His eyes traced her neck possessively and she saw the satisfied look on his face. He let his eyes travel up to hers, a smirk on his lips before he spoke.

“My mistake.” Loki said, voice all honey covered. It annoyed her that he looked so effortlessly sexy, that now she knew what was underneath his clothes she needed him to not be wearing any. He still had that post-sex smugness from the night before and that just made her angrier.

“ I look like I’ve been mauled.” She growled, waving a hand at her neck.

“It’s a tradition on Asgard.” He said easily, still smirking at her, eyes hunting for the marks beneath the cover up. She was 100% sure he couldn’t see them. Well 75% at least.

“I’ve never seen Jane with any.” Darcy said, and she set up her desk, throwing her stuff from her bag down angrily.

“Maybe she prefers them further down.” Loki replied, and she really didn’t need to turn at look at him to know he was nearly laughing now. Anger flared in her and she rounded on him.

“Do it again, and I won’t let you come for a week.” The words were out before she could stop surprising both of them. Loki turned to her, raised an eyebrow, humour off of his face now.

“You won’t ‘let me’?” He asked, hackles raised like a cat and she could feel the edge of an argument already, the way the air got between them. Darcy took a breath and decided that hell, she’d already started this, no point backing down now. She stared at him, before speaking, voice sugar-sweet but laced with the need to be obeyed.

“I obviously  need to make it clear how this” She gestured between them. “works. Anything sexual between us, I control.” His jaw twitched, and his eyes were angry. “You want to touch me you ask. You want to come, you ask.” Loki looked surprised, mouth slightly open but his jaw was angry.

“What gave you the impression I would agree to this?” He said carefully, glowering at her.

“You gave in.” She said simply.

“It won’t happen again.” He retorted, so sure that she wanted to laugh.

“You’re right it won’t.” She agreed, voice now harder.  “You hardly had to do any work at all. You will ask. You will beg before I so much as let you touch me.” He looked like he was going to protest, fury clear in the way his hands clenched the desk he stood near. “Do you want me? You want to fuck me again? Then you do what I say.” She watched him, realised that him submitting was never going to be this easy.  “Decide. Either you let me take charge of this, or we both go back to the horny teenagers we seem to become around each other.” If it had been anyone else Darcy would have been worried about steamrolling them, about them giving in to something that they weren’t sure about, but with him she always knew she couldn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to.  There was something sexy about knowing that when he finally gave in it would be because he wanted too, no other reason. Of course for that he had to get over whatever hang up he had with it.

 

* * *

 

 

He lasted two hours. They were both working and she was trying her hardest to completely ignore him, which was no small feat but she could see him fighting with himself over the issue. She heard him sigh loudly, and looked up to see him facing her, jaw set, looking pretty grumpy. Darcy tried not to find him grumpy adorable but it was pretty hard. He huffed again and then spoke.

“Fine.” He said, and she smiled because this was what she had waiting for. She looked him over, saw him bristle as she did and then put her pen down and walked around the desk.

“You can address me as Ma’am.” She said, leaning against one closer to him.

“Fine Ma’am.” He said mockingly, and that irritated her. Darcy felt something snap inside her, the urge to make him _fucking obey_ _already_ coming out.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me. If this is a game to you - stop. If you are just doing this so that you can get me to submit later - stop. If you genuinely get nothing from this then stop. Submit fully. Or we don’t do this.” Her voice was harsher now, her tone leaving no room for argument. He seemed to understand this, and assessed her carefully for a moment or two. Loki seemed to come to a decision, and walked over to her, feet padding softly on the floor before he stopped just in front of her, eyes cast down. That was probably as close to submission as she was going to get.  

“You’re sure?” She says, being sure to stress it. That even though he’s done awful things, taken away other peoples choices it doesn’t mean he doesn’t get any. Loki looked up at her, surprised and there was a flash of emotion on his face that she hadn’t seen before.

“Yes Ma’am.” He said quietly, still watching her with that same look before it fled. It unsettled her, seeing his face bare like that even for just a second.

“Good boy.” Darcy replied, and watched his jaw clench at the endearment,  a tense shiver travelling over his body.  He looked like he wanted to say something so she reached forward, staring him straight in the eye and grabbed his dick through the sweatpants. He already had a semi and she gripped his shaft tighter, squeezing it slightly before releasing to rub her palm over him. His arms moved in the corner of her eye and she paused to growl at him. “Touch me without my permission, and I’ll tie your arms together. I really don’t want to waste time doing that.” Loki stared her out again before slowly lowering his hands, leaving them at his sides now.

“You want to fuck me?” Darcy asked, moving closer, letting her breasts brush up against his shirt. His chest was hard as she ran her nails over him through his pants. “Get your dick wet?” She asked and watched his eyes find her lips and glaze over slightly. She pulled slightly and he growled back at her, reaching and then remembering himself and stopping his arms. Her heart was beating fast, adrenaline through her as she leant up to take his ear lobe into her hot mouth and suck. “Then ask me.” She said in between licks. “If you can fuck me.” She felt him tense beneath her, and this was the first real test. Darcy knew the struggle – the not wanting to give in to something, and to Loki everything was beneath him. This was exactly what had drawn her to topping him. There was gonna be nothing quite like showing him how much he would enjoy being hers. She leant back to look him in the eye, to see the struggle there.

“I will not beg.” He said, voice and jaw firm but the hot weight under her hand showed how amenable he would be. Instead of arguing she released him and stood back, mourning the loss of him in her hands.

“Okay then.” She said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” His face would have been funny if she wasn’t as turned on as she was. Now the anger just sent sparks through her.

“What?” He practically growled, irritation on his face.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said simply, and she was really enjoying this now. Darcy moved sideways, as if to leave and he looked exasperated. She hid a smile before speaking again. “Unless you have anything to ask?” She looked at him pointedly and crossed her arms. “I’m waiting.” His hands were clenched by his sides, and she could see him chewing on the words.

 “Can I fuck you?” He finally asked, the words leaving him in a disgruntled breath. She considered it for a moment before speaking.

“No. You made me wait. And that really doesn’t sound like begging to me.” She knew she was pushing it, but Darcy had never been one to take the easy road.

“Please.” He gritted out, and was that a flush in his cheeks?

“Please what?” She said, momentarily distracted by the pink. By the way it made him look like some innocent instead of who he really was. Her eyes went back to his when she realised he hadn’t replied and she grabbed his balls, pulling them firmly. He let out a hiss before speaking.

“Please Ma’am, let me fuck you.” He said, and it was like music to her ears.

“You don’t really sound like you want to.” Darcy moved closer at this, leant her mouth up to bite his collar bone.  He shivered underneath her, her other hand stroking the hard line of his dick.

“I want to.” He said, voice low and gravelly and she wondered if it was easier for him to admit that when he didn’t have to meet her eyes. It was definitely easier for her to hide the way his words had travelled straight to her clit.

“Okay.” She said, then carried on between licks and sucks. “You are going to finger fuck me” squeezing his balls again. “against this desk until I come and then” She paused to bite gently on his neck.  “if your good, I’ll jerk you off.” She looked up at him now, met his eyes. “Otherwise I’m going home and you’re going to have to take care of yourself. Does that sound fair?” Darcy said, letting her other hand slide under his shirt to run her nails on his chest. Loki looked dazed but nodded. “I asked you a question.” She said sternly and watched him closed his eyes as he bit back anger. The way he had to reel himself back in, the way he struggled with every command, fighting against his desire to top her was beautiful to watch. And so, so satisfying. He let out a breath before speaking.

“Yes Ma’am, that sounds fair.” And Darcy smiled at him widely, jumping up onto the desk behind her, before leaning back and spreading her legs. His eyes travelled down to the crease of her thighs, to her exposed pussy and she saw the hunger there.

“Hands only.” She ordered, and watched him glower before walking forward to slide his body between her open legs. He reached forward and started undoing the buttons on her blouse, and while it wasn’t exactly what she had said, Darcy decided to see where he was going. He slid the blouse off of her shoulders, leaving her just in her bra and a skirt and one hand slid round the back to undo her bra while the other landed firmly on her thigh. His thumb was rubbing small circles on the inside of her thigh, never getting any closer to her wet center. His other hand came up, helping her slide the bra off before cupping one breast and pinching the nipple slightly. Her hands were leant back next to her and Darcy reached one forward to card through his hair. He seemed momentarily distracted for a second when she scraped her nails on his scalp but then moved his hand further up her thigh. The thumb was still rubbing circles, now high enough up to be just brushing her outer lips. The first brush made her start, electricity shooting through her, but after that the feeling just started to build, far enough away not to be satisfying. His other thumb was her other breast now, rubbing the nipple in time to the one between her legs and she was starting to feel like she wasn’t really in control here.“Finger fuck me.” She demanded.

“I’m getting there Ma’am.” He said, politely, a smirky smile on his face. Darcy pulled his head towards her to bite his lower lip between hers and felt his groan and the slowing of his hands. She released it with a lick and then spoke.

“Well get there faster.” She was sitting there flushed and open and wanting to come already. In a quick move he had her pinned down on the desk, one hand just above her pubic bone. He pushed two fingers inside her, making her tense and let out a surprised moan before he scissored them. The sound of him sliding in and out of her filled the quiet room and she was surprised at how much it turned her on. He pulled his fingers out, then slid them in again, curving them slightly. His other hand was rubbing a hand over her nipple and it felt more sensitive than before, when he tweaked it it sent ripples of pleasure through her. His fingers were still too slow, the feeling of them not quite enough.

“Harder.” She said, and he complied immediately, pushing them into her with enough force to make her head flop back and a moan come out. He was pumping them now, twisting his hand slightly as he entered her and sending sparks up body. She wanted to lift her hips up, to tilt herself so he hit just the right spot and he seemed to sense that, changing the angle he entered her. He body was literally sliding up the desk and she had to grip the sides to keep from moving too far. The power he put just into that was amazing, and Darcy groaned at the thought of how hard he would be able to fuck her if she let him.

“Touch me.” She said, and he didn’t need telling where. His fingers brushed over her clit gently at first, and then after her angry growl harder. He started rubbing his thumb over her firmly and she felt her orgasm right on the edges. The feeling of his fingers pushing into her, twisting and then pulling out together with the way he rubbed relentlessly on her clit was so good. She looked at him, the concentration and contained lust on his face and felt herself clench around his fingers. That was enough to get her to come. He carried on pumping into her as she came, fingers slipping in and out of the tight hole before she finished. She was laid back as he slowed, aftershocks running through her as he wisely avoided touching her clit again. She gasped when he finally pulled his fingers out, the feeling bittersweet and opened her eyes just in time to see him raise them to his lips and take them in. She moaned and closed her eyes against the sight before closing her legs around his hips and grabbing his shirt to draw him down. Darcy kissed him hard, tasting herself on his tongue before leaning up. He gripped a hand around her, helping her sit up and they carried on kissing as she shifted herself further forward on the desk so her bare slit was practically rubbing his sweatpants. She reached down, still kissing him and slid her hand under to grab his dick. He was solid in her hands, hot and hard and he groaned against her as she squeezed him. She started sliding her hand faster, knowing he must be aching and close after what he just did to her. He kissed her harder and she reached a hand up into his hair again. His lips slid away, and she let him go to concentrate on what her hand was doing. She was squeezing him tighter now, slowing down to give harder pulls. His lips were on her neck, soft kisses on the skin and pulls that were making her wet again. She stopped suddenly, and he let out a sad/pleading moan that made her want to squeeze her legs together. He leant back to look at her, and it took her a moment to catch her breath before she spoke.

“You didn’t ask me if you could taste.” She said, realising the words as she said them. Loki looked confused and seemingly remembered the way he had slipped his still wet fingers into his mouth. He bucked slightly against her and she wanted to just let him in, to let him finish in her but she had to follow the rules at least some of the time.

“Did I tell you you could do that?” She asked, trying for anger in her voice.

“No Ma’am.”He gritted out, and she wondered how hard his dick was, how much it ached. She felt the blood pool in her clit.

“Then I don’t think you deserve to have me finish you, do you?” She said maliciously just to see how he would react. He closed him eyes, let out a breath and she didn’t know why she felt the need to keep pushing him closer and closer to breaking point but it was definitely doing something for her.

“Please.” He said quietly, eyes still closed. She didn’t answer him, just watched him in front of her, hard and horny, waiting for her to let him come.

“Please.” He said again, and his voice, the desperation edged with shame at being bought to this level made her blood sing. She reached down, gripping him tight again and he leant on the table to balance himself as he groaned. Darcy slid her hand over him a few times, felt him buck into her before leaning up to his ear.

“Come.” She said, and he did.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

His hair was all mussed, and he had the slightly dazed look in his eyes that she was sure she had. They had finished about five minutes ago, him coming all over her hand and into his pants. Darcy had licked his mess off of her hand and enjoyed the way his eyes darkened. She had wanted to make him fuck her again then, but she knew they had some other things to talk about, and it was a work day. They were sitting, her fully dressed again now, back at their usual places.

 “I’m clean, and on the pill, I should have definitely checked this before but fuck it, I am now. Are you?” She said in a massive babble, the thought just occurring to her now.

“On ‘the pill’?” He said, confusion and amusement in his voice. 

“No, are you clean?” She asked, watching his blank face.  “Free of sexually transmitted diseases?” She asked, slower and that did it. Darcy watched him glower at her and she had to restrain her smile.

“I am a prince.” He said, voice haughty as he picked up a book and pretended to read it.

“Like princes can’t get stds’.” She replied and the look he gave her was so sharp she felt like she’d been told off. Which made her horny, concentrating around him was gonna become more of a problem than before.

“If you’re sure.”She said. “Alien diseases are not a conversation I want to have with Thor.”

“Well he would be the best person to ask.” Loki said glibly, and she wondered if she needed to know more about that, for Janes sake, but figured he was probably just fucking with her. Probably.

“Maybe we should talk, about this, what we’re doing.” She said and felt like an idiot for suggesting it.

“’What we’re doing’?” He asked blandly.

“You know. This...... relationship.” She said, and felt herself cringe at the word. She saw his eyebrow raise even from her side angle of him. “We should be clear on what it means.”

“’What it means’?” He repeated again, and that was gonna get annoying.

“It’s just sex.” Darcy said, snd then suddenly worried that there was some sort of Asgardian custom to this sort of thing. Loki turned to look at her, face stricken and she suddenly worried she had misjudged everything.

“But you would make such a charming wife.” He said sincerely, and it took her a second to realise he was fucking with her. She restrained her laugh, instead levelling him with an unimpressed look that made his lip twitch. And that, his snark. The way he argued back to her was hot and annoying at the same time. Darcy knew she had to separate the two, that she couldn’t get him on his knees every time they fought or it would never work. She took a second to think of her next point before speaking.

“You will submit to me, but only during sex.” Loki looked at her as if to say ‘duh’ but she felt better for getting it out there. “And we will not be fucking during work hours.” He looked at her pointedly and she flushed slightly. “After today we will not be fucking during work hours.”

“Why not? Your work is near useless anyway.” He looked genuinely confused.

“Excuse me?” Darcy replied, pissed off again.

“I mean you have other talents that you could be spending your time on.”  She had no delusions about what he meant by _other talents_ and sometimes she wondered how she could forget he could be a massive dick.

“I don’t think Shield hired me to fuck you.”

“Thats a shame, it would definitely have more of an impact.” He said ,looking down at that book that he might be actually reading. She thought about arguing but she did have things to do despite what he thought, and they had already wasted an hour fucking.

“Not during work hours.” She repeated, starting to gather up notes to write, lucking they had fucked on a different desk so they were still in a sort of order.

“If you are staying late the guards will get suspicious.” He said, and it was weird to be having a conversation with him like this when the images of what he looked like when he came stuck in her head. She shook it off before replying.

“Then live up to your name and come up with a lie to tell them.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“The full moon.” 

“You will have to work late because of the full moon.” The guard said sceptically, and Darcy tried not to squirm and cover her neck.

“Yep.” She said, hating Loki that the best lie he would give her was literally three words.

“But you’re inside.” The other guard said slowly, and wasn’t it great that everyone was in on this conversation now.

“It affects things. _Asgardian things_.” Darcy said, waving her hands mystically but probably just looking like a mug. Seeing as that wasn’t really working she tried another tactic. “You know how Gods are.” She said, shrugging slightly. They were still staring at her like she was simple. “See you tomorrow then.” Darcy said, panicking now and  walking off. She prayed that she wouldn’t have to explain how the full moon affects _Asgardian things_ to Coulson in the near future because even sex with Loki might not be worth that conversation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure how I did on this one, but glad to have broken the ice with some of the more subby stuff. 
> 
> Next Time: Lokis’ POV!! Woop. Safe words, Limits all those non-sexy but nessesary things, and smut, obviously.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really meant to update sooner but I kept on getting stuck on his point of view when he’s all subby for some reason. Anyways, here it is finally, the next update will be much sooner (hopefully Monday or Friday) and I’ll get back to being regular again after that :D
> 
> I love the comments, I’m gonna try and check my inbox way more regularly and actually reply sooner because I can’t get across how much I love all your feedback by being all slow to reply :D

* * *

 

 

Loki had always been good at biding his time. He was centuries old and immortal, time did not mean that much to him at this point. So he accepted, that he would have to do this thing, submit to this girl so she would give in to him. What he didn’t expect was to enjoy it. To enjoy the feeling of being hers to command. It did not mean that he did not want to hold her down and claim her, it was simply that this situation was pleasurable too. The way she touched him in scratches and bites, filthy words and promises of what she would do to him.  

Even when they were not fucking his time with her was entertaining. She was the most fascinating midgardian he had come across, and even with her working for him he did not fully understand her. Which was odd, because he had spent centuries studying people, what made them work, and she did not fit into any type of person he knew. She did not seem motivated by power, or money particularly, instead she seemed to have taken the job with him because he was irritated by her. Loki wanted to know more about her, to understand what drove her and it was surprising to realise that it wasn’t just to find better ways to use her. It was strange, he wouldn’t stretch to calling what they had friendship, but aside from her mortal standing, he felt an odd ease with her.

 

 

 She arrived early the next day, in a cardigan and skirt, her glasses matching her lipstick. He noticed the bruises on her neck, fresher ones than before and felt a smile prick his lips. Remembered sucking them into her skin with his fingers deep in her. Seeing her marked like that, for him, was more satisfying than Loki would have thought. He expected an argument, craved the way they would shout at each other. His body was practically humming with the thought of how she her words would set his blood alight. Instead there was nothing, no comments about the marks, not even a look. It was disappointing.  The girl had started to work so Loki put his head down too, getting back to finding loopholes on the magic keeping him here. Although he would be loath to admit it, her work for him was good. He would even go so far as to say useful. Despite her lack of understanding on what he was working on, or even the languages he used, the books and notes were organised into an order that made things simple when he worked. Loki guessed she must have gained that skill from working with Thors’ woman. She was also in the habit of giving him food. He did not even think she realised it herself but she would absentmindedly hand him bars or fruit when he walked past her and she was working. It seemed to be an instinctive thing, and he had thought about pointing it out but the food was quite fine and it saved him having to wait for the guards to bring some. It was endearing, in a way. The thought of pointing out the behaviour to her to have her stop, or even for her to become embarrassed made him hold back on the words. He thought about how she was essentially aiding him in trying to escape, how naive she was to trust in his word that he was looking for work about the Bifrost when that knowledge was old to him. The image of her face, hurt and betrayed flashed in his mind and it was odd that the feeling that flowed through him was not an entirely happy one. He pushed it to one side and got on with his work, following her lead.

Loki realised why she hadn’t mentioned the marks later.  He was screwing her slowly into the wall, hands wrapped under her thighs. She was making these panting moans that had him right on the edge, his dick smothered in the hot wet  sensation of her. The girl had her cardigan undone and he let out a frustrated groan as he watched her tits bouncing under her clothes. She had told him to keep on going until she came, but he was only allowed to hold her up and fuck into her, nothing else. This was not what he wanted. What Loki wanted, was to hold her hands above her head, to have her hanging while he drove into her. He wanted, at least, was to be able to lean forward and take her lips between his while her wet, warm cunt slid up and down his dick. But she was insistent, and maybe that was her plan, to drive him mad with all the things he was not allowed to do. It was working. Her hair was messy and her face was level with his where he held her, hot breath on his face as she looked at him, eyes half lidded. She was so beautiful. When they had first met he had been drawn in by her curves but the more time they spent the more he wanted to watch her face. The way she spoke, the way her lips pursed, the way she looked now, gasping. Her eyes were always so open, she seemed to be incapable of hiding her feelings in them. They got wide suddenly, blue eyes so large and surprised before she scrunched her eyes shut tight. She came, her pussy clenching hard over his dick as she let out a moan, her fingers spasming against his shoulders. He gritted his teeth at the feeling, her grip on his dick and her wet heat making it difficult for him to keep himself under control. Her orgasm came to a hard end and he felt her grip him tighter before she became completely relaxed around his dick. It was all warm soft heat and aftershocks that rippled over his shaft and he was right on the edge, but knew he couldn’t come unless she said. He was leaning forward, body pressed tight to hers as she linked her arms around his neck and bit down on his collarbone. Fighting the pull of the sensation he let out a long hiss and she hummed in reply before removing her mouth with a kiss. The girl tilted her head back and his eyes met hers, the bright blue of them standing out against her flushed face and pink lips.

“Put me down.” She said, pulling slightly on his neck to lift herself off of him. Loki grunted, surprised and she reached down between them to pull his cock out of her. She yanked it hard and he growled, leaning against the wall to balance once she let go of him. They both looked down, to where his cock stood, all pink and wet and dripping. So hard but needing so little to finish. His whole body felt tense, hanging on the feeling of what she would do next. He looked up to her eyes and saw the hunger there, anticipation hanging thick between them. After another moment she reached down, running her finger in between her legs, collecting the liquid that was there. She lifted it to his mouth and he heard the groan he let out as she slid her fingers in past his lips. The taste of her on his tongue was a tease, another thing he’d have to ask for and he hated that he loved it. She removed her fingers, wiping them on his shirt before leaning forward to take him in a fierce kiss. He lost himself for a moment in the taste of her lips, the feel of her tongue and his fingers pushed into the wall as she bit his lip. She rolled her body against him, once, twice and just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, that he was going to come she stopped. The breathy groan that left his mouth as she moved away made her smile as she removed her hands from around his neck. The girl ducked under his arm, sorting out her cardigan and skirt as she walked back to her desk. His balls felt full and heavy and the urge to brush against something, anything and come was difficult to ignore. But still he waited and watched her, feeling angry, impatient and horny. She reached over to pack up her things, humming slightly to herself and he was just standing there, dick out and dripping.

“See you tomorrow.” She said, this smile on her lips that made him more confused.

“Wait.” He said, and she did stop just in front of him, smirking. He just stared at her. “What?” He asked. That was pretty much the only word he could think of. Sexual frustration made him disturbingly mono-syballic.

“You didn’t believe me?” She asked, laughter on her face, something like fondness in her eyes.  It made him pause for a second, a sudden urge to see that look more rushing through him. That was quickly replaced by confusion as he tried to digest her words. “You’re not coming until next Monday.” She said slowly and that he understood.

“Because I marked you.” He gritted out, the state of his dick getting worse by the second.

“Because I told you not to. I don’t think this is unfair.” The girl said, and one throbbing blood filled part of him definitely disagreed. Loki tried to concentrate, but her looking at him like that with his cock out was very distracting. He tucked himself in, not that it did much to hide his state but it bought him a second to formulate words.

“You wouldn’t know.” He said finally, frustrated. “If I touched myself when you weren’t here.”

“I wouldn’t. And you are very good at lying.” She agreed thoughtfully, but without any sort of worry on her face. She walked closer to him and her proximity made his skin tingle. His eyes had caught on her lips, the soft lushness of them as she spoke. She was now just in front of him, close enough to touch, and he was looking down and straight into her eyes. “But if you wait, let all of that build up. I will swallow it all down next week.” She said, eyes heavy, a soft blush on her cheek. The image it painted sent sparks down to his cock.  Her on her knees, mouth full of him as she looked up. He groaned and closed his eyes to try and block out the wave of lust that travelled straight down to his dick. When Loki opened them she was smirking at him in that insufferable way.  “Unless you think you can’t manage that.” She said, her eyes flicking down to his dick, still straining through his pants. “That you’ll come in your pants like a school boy.” She was mocking him and he hated that this made his dick hard. That challenges like that from her tapped into some part of him that wanted to prove himself.  He took a breath for a second, the anger rushing through him not helping his state.  “And,  I’m still going to be using you to get off.” Something about the way she said it, so straightforward, like he was just a thing to be used was oddly erotic. He let out a frustrated groan and her laugh travelled back to him as she walked out the door.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

He woke up hard, and went to bed the same way. The week was not passing easily. The first day wasn’t so bad, she had fucked him again, using his hands and dick to get off. The day after that though, and he was starting to really notice the way he felt. He felt oversensitive, like every touch was so much stronger, and his balls ached beyond anything he had known for decades. Thought of her, the way she touched him, her smile as she denied him made it near impossible to get her out of his head. Loki had other things to be thinking about – magic to regain, escapes to plan and yet as soon as she came into the lab all of his attention was drawn to her. They still fought. He loved the challenge of an opponent who was smart, and not afraid of him, and she had all those qualities and more. The girl made him more angry than he ever thought a mortal could, and yet at the same time there was a certain happiness in him, a sense of purpose that came with whatever they were doing together. That did not help the state of his dick however. He tried to tempt her, tried to woo her into letting him come but he knew how stubborn she was. That coffee cup from her first day was still smashed to pieces on the floor of the lab. She made a point of walking around it each day and if he could think beyond the pain in his dick he might have found it cute. They had reached a sort of agreement – for one hour after she finished her shift they would have time to fuck, or do whatever she wanted. Loki supposed it was her way of coming to terms with the ethical issues with what they were doing. He would have preferred longer of course, but this wasn’t his to dictate. This meant that he spent the day half hard, waiting for the end of her shift. It was torture, not being allowed to come, and his self restraint was being tested beyond his imagination. She had asked him to tell her when he was close, so she could stop whatever she was doing to him and each time it ached. It was the strangest sensation to be so close and then just... nothing. If it weren’t for the look on her face everytime he gave in and let her stop he might not have done it. But she was so pleased, so trusting in him it sent warm shivers through his gut.

 

 

“We have an hour, and I want to get off. Lay down and let me sit on your face.” Loki looked up at the order, and saw the girl walking closer to him. She was wearing jeans today, a rare occurrence, and she started to unbutton them. He found his gaze fixed on her small hands, her painted nails as they opened her flies and then slid the jeans down her legs, her shoes laying next to her. She wasn’t wearing any underwear, as she had taken to doing since that first day he had removed them with magic. It had bothered him then. The sight of something of Thors’ on what was really his. He idly considered what he would have to do to get her to wear green underwear, and then she was pushing him to the floor to straddle his chest. He thought about offering up a token protest, some argument that would piss her off and make them both more turned on, but there was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to have his head between her thighs. Bare cunt just centimetres from his face. He wanted to lean forward, to lick at her but he waited, like he knew she needed him to. Like they both needed him to.

“You only have an hour.” He reminded her, and then added begrudgingly “Ma’am.”

“I know.” She said, watching him, hair tumbling over her face the same dark brown as the hair on her cunt.  Loki was quickly becoming impatient. That had to be the most frustrating thing about their arrangement. The waiting. It didn’t matter that he enjoyed it. The way time stretched between them and all there was to focus on was her, on pleasing her. That when she finally gave him permission for whatever it was she was denying him, every sensation felt more. It frustrated him the power he had given her, to make him feel like this. To keep him down with her words alone, and he was still coming to terms with it. Now, he was watching her. Well, watching her watching him, and it looked so wrong in the best way that she was covered apart from her legs and slit. She shuffled forwards, legs brushing his shoulders until she rested just in front of him. It was like the first time he had seen her bare. When he had been trying to tempt her with hot words and breaths. Except this time there was no doubt about who was in charge.

 “Please.” He said, hating the way his voice was tinged with pleading even through a growl. The girl raised an eyebrow at him, a ‘is that the best you can do?’ and then leant back over him so her pussy was back over his face. She reached down, as if reaching for his hair, like she was going to pull his face to her. Instead her fingers stroked between her wet lips.  He let out an involuntary groan, eyes unable to look away as she traced her fingers round her clit. They slid further down, before disappearing into that wet hole and the noise she made, the way her breath hitched and a small gasp came out made all the blood rush to his dick.  He could smell her, more so now that she had pushed her fingers into herself, and as they slid out again, so close to his face. He watched the fingers slide in and out a few more times, mesmerised by the image, the sounds before he saw her other hand joining in. It slipped down and over her clit, briefly baring her whole pussy to him before it slid out again to run over her lips. She had one finger pumping in lazily, kept to a side so he could see fully what she was doing. She was playing with her clit, wet fingers sliding over the hood in time to the ones pumping out of her. Her breath was faster, heavier and the way she was rolling her hips made him want to grab her arse. He wanted to grind against her, to roll her over and eat her out before fucking her into the floor. But this wasn’t his game. His cock was so hard, twitching between his legs at the sight before him. Her fingers right there, pussy inches away. It was without a doubt, one of the most erotic things he had ever seen. He realised then that she would be quite happy to come unassisted. To sit on him, and not let him so much as breathe too heavily on her.  It didn’t even matter that he knew he wouldn’t get to come. That he knew that the ache in his cock would be there until next week, all that mattered was the way she would taste on his tongue. The way she would feel under his lips. The way she would sound when he made her come.

“Let me.” He said, struggling to keep the demand out of his voice. Her breath skipped slightly but her hands didn’t stop, fingers rubbing her clit faster now. He could see her lifting up slightly as she drove her fingers in, breasts pressing against her shirt as she arched her back.

 “Please.”  Loki said, and hardly recognised his own voice. It was rough and low but there was a desperate edge to it now. She moaned again and he could see she was close.

“Please.” He asked once more, and something in his voice must have got to her. She removed her hands, his head coming forward to lick her. He gave her a long, slow lick up before taking her clit into his mouth and sucking hard. She gave a moan and he felt her hands lace through his hair, scratching on his scalp. He shivered and licked at her faster, lapping up the taste of her, rubbing his face  against her lips. She was so wet, the tangy taste of her spread across his mouth and licked lower to bury his tongue in her. She moaned again and he moved his mouth while he fucked her with it. He knew she was close, had been the cause of it enough times to know the signs and her thighs clenching around his head confirmed it. He moved his mouth suddenly, tongue flicking gently over her clit in a steady rhythm and she froze around him, legs clenching as her hands tugged hard on his hair. She came fast, rocking into him and he didn’t stop, licking her through it and into another, harder one that had her panting on top of him. When she had finished, she leant back, and he pulled away, looking up the slope of her body to see her face. She looked down at him, still breathing heavily with a sort of fuck-drunk (as she would say) look on her face. She practically rolled off to lay next to him, her shoulder brushing his. 

“Good boy.” She said in a tired but completely satisfied way. It took him a moment to realise that the feeling that rushed through him was not irritation, but pleasure at having done something for her. It was a shock, that those two words could make him both happy and harder. It didn’t change the way that his dick was still hard between his legs, but it was something. He groaned as he remembered the ache in his dick and heard her light laugh next to him. Loki turned his head to the side and scowled at her smiling face.

“What did we learn from this?” She asked with a laugh in her voice. He scowled more.“When I say ‘don’t give me hickies.’ You really shouldn’t give me hickies.” He closed his eyes for a second thinking that the first thing he would do when things finally switched would be to cover her in them.

“Or I just need to use magic so you don’t see them when you look in the mirror.” He replied, and she laughed brightly before seeming stricken by the thought.

“Don’t do that.” She said, still smiling but trying to be stern. “I’m serious.” She said again and he smiled at her mischievously.

“Yes Ma’am.”

 

 

* * *

 

The weekend came, and Loki did not. His balls were heavy and full and even running for hours in the gym did nothing to ease the ache. She had used him the day before, having him eat her out on the sofa  while she stroked him. Just the thought of her hand on him, her taste on his tongue made his dick twitch. He had underestimated how much she would get under his skin. How much he would be thinking about her outside of their time together. At one point he woke in the night, dick aching for a hand, or something to relieve himself with. He felt like a juvenile again, young and flustered and he hated it. Instead of giving in he took a breath, cursing that midgardian again. It was pathetic, the state he was in, but there was something that stopped him from sliding his hand along his dick. He tried not to analyse that to closely, choosing to get up and work. At least that would help to fix one of his problems.

 

* * *

 

 

 

On Monday he was sitting on the stool, books in front of him as he tested his power. He could feel it pushing against the magic in that bracelet, the limits that had been imposed on him. If only he knew how to get around it then he could be out of that ridiculous building and onto his next plan. He could take the girl with him, show her things that would blow her tiny mind. The thought stopped Loki short, it was so unexpected. That he would even think of taking her with him, could it be that he had grown so attached to her in such a short period of time? He shrugged the thought away. It couldn’t be that, it was simply that she was entertaining for a mortal and his imprisonment was terribly boring. Besides, he was far from done with her. Satisfied that was the reason Loki got back on with his work. He only had a few more minutes of peace before there was a buzz from the door and it slid open. He heard her walk in, his head turning before he could help it and saw the girl striding over. She had a look of such determination, such focus he worried for a second at the cause. And then she was in front of him and dropping to her knees.  In one move she had his cock out, half hard already in her hand and she wrapped her hot mouth around him, teeth tucked under. He groaned, bucking slightly before he balanced himself on the table behind him. He knew by now not to touch without asking her.  It was surreal, the quick way he had gone from sitting working to having his cock in her mouth. The frenzy, the determination as she sucked on his dick was too much. She lifted up, swirling her head around the tip before plunging back down and taking him all in. It can’t have been comfortable for her but she didn’t complain, and he didn’t have any way to get out the words he would have said. The pressure build up in his balls, the feeling so unbelievable that he groaned, hands gripping the table behind him dangerously hard. The girl made a breathy moaning sound that travelled over his dick and there was a tingling at the base of his spine that let him know he was close.

“I’m –“ He got out and she nodded, encouraging and that was when he lost it. He felt himself let go, coming hard into her mouth, felt her swallowing around him. The feeling was so intense, so complete that it stunned him. The orgasm was unlike anything he’d had before, all that time waiting making it feel unbelievable. She pulled off slowly, almost regretfully as she gave him one last lick  before tucking him back in gently. The girl looked at him, at his face which must have looked just as stunned as he felt and she laughed. It was a light joyous sound and he saw the pleasure she got from this, from making him happy. Loki looked at her for a moment, blindsided by this before she stood up. The girl  brushed off her knees with a smile before turning back to go to her desk. He reached out for her hand, taking it in his. She looked down, surprised and he saw where her small hand was covered by his.  They both stared at their hands for a second and then he spoke.

“I can...” He started, and then trailed off, words failing him. He was worn out, his mind completely blank except for a feeling of gratitude towards her. It was the strangest thing.

 “It’s fine, you earnt it.” She said, dazzling smile again on her face. He wanted to lean forward and kiss her, lick his taste from her mouth until only she was left. Instead he gave a nod and let go of her hand.  

“I didn’t expect you to let me come this early in the day.” He admitted.

“It wasn’t just punishing you, the face you make when you come is prime spank bank material.” She said with a wink and a bounce in her step as she sat back down. Darcy was humming as he went back to look at his books, and he watched her, her eyes down and a smile on her face. Something pulled at him, and he shook it off, trying to ignore the feeling that something was changing between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for those of you who aren’t a massive fan of Top!Darcy, her reign will end, probably in the next few chapters. It won’t always be Top Loki though, I always intended on this fic being a mix of both of them.  
> Also for those of you who love blow jobs, there will be alot of a chapter dedicated to them coming up, so don’t worry if this one was a bit brief ;)
> 
> Next Time: She makes him dress up (thank you for all the suggestions on this, it’s gonna get kinky ;) ), he pretends he doesn’t love it, a bit more of Darcys outside life.  
> Don’t forget to comment, I always appreciate the feedback! :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I had all sorts of plans for this one to do with him being very dressed up and being fucked but then the seven minutes in heaven thing came up and well, I got a bit carried away :D  
> I literally wrote this today so if they’re any errors oops, I’ll probably come back and correct it but not for a while :D

 

* * *

 

 

Loki had started to act differently, since the Monday she had gone down on him. He was watching her more. It wasn’t that she didn’t know he did it before – eyes like his made you notice- but now it was like he _had_ to figure her out. It made everything more intense and she wanted to pull away, to shield herself from whatever was going on but he was difficult to resist. All he had to do was challenge her, or ask her something nicely and suddenly they would be fucking. She would forget her worries about what they were doing, and give herself over because it was so easy to do. Darcy had never seen herself as a dom before. Her first relationship with someone in BDSM had been in college, with a woman who had taken her in and shown her what it felt like to surrender to someone. It had been amazing, and fun, and everything she wanted at the time. But, it had never been love. It had been at most, two close friends who fucked. They trusted each other, and they hung out outside of their time in the bedroom, but that was it. It had been weirdly easy to separate the sex from everything else, and when it had ended it was a loss, but not a painful one. This thing with Loki was starting to feel different. Already lines were getting blurred. Darcy wasn’t so naive to think it was love, but it was something close to affection growing between them. Sometimes, at the end of their hour  they would be laying on the floor together. His arm would curl up and round her, and she would turn her face into his chest just for a minute, and breathe. It was so instinctive to do that, for her to rest her hand on his chest and run her fingertips across it. They would lay there, both in that post-orgasmic haze until it occurred to one of them what exactly they were doing. They would tense, the moment catching up to them both and suddenly she would be up with her clothes on and he would be back to work. It wasn’t a situation she wanted to deal with.

If you had asked her before she met Loki, Darcy would have sworn up and down she was a sub. That there was no way she would be attracted to the idea of topping someone. She had just never really got it, the appeal of making someone do what you said. That having power over someone would be something she wanted. And then she had met Loki and the idea had grown, and become not just something that she might be interested in, but something that had to happen.  He was so dominating naturally, the way he was meant it felt like he owned everything, that submitting to him was the only option. It was that, and the fact that he pissed her off, that made her want to take him down a peg or two. To make him submit to a _midgardian_ of all people. Part of her did it to make him humble, to try and get him to see the world from another angle. The rest of her did it just to see if she could. There was something about getting him, a god to give in to her that was intoxicating. That he was doing just what she said because she asked. He didn’t have to submit, he didn’t have to do anything, but he was choosing to do it for her. It was intense to put it mildly. But now, the feeling was becoming overwhelming. Darcy realised early on in the job that she had to be careful about giving all of her time to him. It sounds stupid, but even though she only had short work hours, it didn’t really mean she was free the rest of the time. To begin with it was because their fighting left her tense and irritated, but now that they were fucking, him occupying her thoughts was a whole other issue. She seemed to be fixated on him when she wasn’t working. She would be nosing around the tower, or in a cafe somewhere and images of him would pop into her head, unprompted, and distract her for the rest of the day.

She realised she was starting to have less and less of a social life so one day after work, (and a few orgasms) Darcy decided to head down to Janes’ lab. They hadn’t really seen much of each other recently, something about Darcys’ deception meaning she was finding it hard to face Jane. It felt odd lying to someone who was once her best friend but Darcy knew just how Jane would take the news. The disappointment, the anger not to mention how Jane would say Darcy was being manipulated. It wouldn’t matter how much Darcy protested, it wouldn’t get through. The truth was she really wanted someone to talk to about this. Someone who wouldn’t judge the situation she had put herself in. Because the whole thing between her and Loki was starting to feel way less like casual sex and a bit more like she might be feeling things for him. Which was really not the aim. But seeing Jane was not about that. It was about seeing her friend, and forgetting about Loki. Or trying to.

“Hey Jane.” She said, walking into the labs with a tray of assorted coffees. Darcy waved to her lab assistants and then picked up two coffees to take to Jane in the corner.

“Hey Darce, can you pass me that?” Jane said, and Darcy passed her a coffee instead. It was testament to how unobservant she was that she tried to unscrew a panel with the cup. “Hey.”

“Have a coffee with me, and then you can go back to.... that.” Darcy said, already pulling her friend away from the machine. Jane made a few grumbly sounds but sat with Darcy none the less, tucking her legs underneath her.

“Hows the bifrost work been going?” Darcy asked, and Jane gave a half shrug-sigh that made her heart ache.

“Not great. It’s frustrating because I know what we have to do, we just don’t have the technology for it.”

“You can make it though?”

“Yeah, and Starks’ been surprisingly helpful with that, but it will still take years. It’s so annoying, especially when we know someone who can help, and he just won’t.” Jane said this with a huff and Darcy knew exactly who she was alluding to.

 “Sorry, I am trying.” Darcy said, feeling guilty because methods not involving sex might work better.

“I know.” Jane said quietly. Darcy picked the edge of her coffee cup and felt Jane staring at her. “You’re getting on better with him?” Jane asked curiously.

“Well he still hasn’t killed me.” Darcy joked but Jane just looked serious.

“If you’re worried about that I can always try and talk with Coulson-”

“No, no it’s fine Jane. It’s not that bad.” Darcy smiled, trying to reassure her friend. Jane watched her carefully.

“If you’re sure.” She said.

“I am.” Darcy replied. “You look tired.”  Jane sort of shrugged at that.

“Science doesn’t sleep Darcy.” Jane said with an ironic smile and Darcy returned it, trying to press down the parts of her that were worried about her friends health. With the aim of turning the conversation around to something less worrying Darcy asked about her and Thor. For all Jane was Science lady, you could tell she loved Thor. Darcy let herself relax on the sofa and listen to Jane, pushing all thoughts of Loki out of her head.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Can you make something for me?” Darcy asked the next day at work, dropping a piece of paper on his desk. It had an image of a thong on it. A thong that was made up of only a few lines of leather, with a cock ring attached to it.  So her plan of not thinking about him hadn’t worked out so well. Darcy had been online and ‘accidentally’ stumbled onto a page of underwear for men, and may have seen it and thought that it would be perfect for him. Loki looked down at the sheet before turning to her with one eyebrow raised.

“Do I look like a seamstress?” He said, voice cold. Darcy rolled her eyes, used to how dramatic he could be.

“My, mistake, I worded it wrong. Make this now.” She demanded and his jaw ticked. She knew he could make it, his magic had to be beyond this small thing so that wasn’t what was stopping him. It was probably the way she had asked. _I bet, if it was up to him, I’d ask him everything on my knees._ She thought and then repressed a smile. Loki narrowed his eyes before he spoke again.

“No, you asked, which means I get to ask for something as well.”

“It doesn’t work like that.” She replied, not liking where this was going.

“It does now.” He said simply. “Your hour hasn’t started yet Miss Lewis. You don’t own me now.” She ignored the shivers that ran over her skin at the way he had said _own me_ and glared at him.

“What do you want?” Darcy said carefully, narrowing her eyes. The problem with Loki and games like these was that he would always try and find a way to get more than she was agreeing too. He watched her for a second, in that way of his that made her feel exposed in the best way. She felt her heart get a little faster, his eyes lingering on her lips for a moment.

“A kiss.” He said finally.

“A kiss?” She said incredulously, surprised that this was all he was asking for. Darcy knew better to be disappointed and instead was suspicious.

“A kiss.” He confirmed, standing up from the stool to face her. Darcy forgot sometimes, how much taller he was than her. So often she had him below her that it always jarred when she had to look up. “But you cannot touch me.” He was right in front of her now, and Darcy frowned, because really, how hard would that be?

“Ok.” She said, and then put her hand in the air to stop him when he started to move. “But, you agree to make this, straight after.” She tapped the sheet. “And you can only kiss me for two minutes.” He rolled his eyes.

“I will make that, _article_.” He said it with such disdain she smothered her smile. He glared and she smiled more. “But the kiss will last ten minutes, at least.”

“Five minutes and you put it on as soon as it’s made.” She countered and watched his eyebrows go up in offence.

“Ten minutes, and I will wear it when I choose.” He said, and Darcy rolled her eyes.

“Five minutes, you wear it when _I choose_ , and I will allow you to make it green.”  She said, and he watched her for a second, assessing. A slow predatory smile started to stretch across his face and Darcy felt uneasy.

“Seven minutes, is that not a midgardian game?” He asked and Darcy laughed, because she did not expect him to say that.

“Seven minutes in heaven?” She asked with a laugh, which seemed to make him smile more. This whole situation was ridiculous. She was trying to think of a way of explaining why this wasn’t a good idea. “That’s usually played in closets.” She said lamely.

“Then I suppose we had better find a closet.”He said and his grin got broader as he reached forward for her hand, leading her as he turned around.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

That was how they ended up in Lokis’ bedroom. “You have a bed.” Darcy said angrily. “A massive bed.” She had dropped his hand, and was now cross-armed staring at him. “Why haven’t we had sex in here? We’ve been fucking in the most uncomfortable places in the lab, and you’ve had a bed in here.”She was staring at him, he just shrugged. “I’ve been all tired and out of breath.” She almost growled. At this he smiled again, moving closer.

“Tired and out of breath is my favourite state for you.” He said, voice low and seductive. The voice travelled straight between her legs and she gulped nervously. He watched her swallow with a hungry look. “The closet is behind you.” He said. Darcy turned and looked at it, much smaller than it had seemed when she had first noticed it.

“It seemed bigger.” She said suspiciously.

“Did it?” He replied, a smirk on his face that she eyed suspiciously.

“We should do this after my shift.” Darcy said abruptly, feeling out of her depth and maybe needing a cold shower before whatever was going to happen with him.

“It’s only seven minutes Miss Lewis, I doubt you were going to do anything groundbreaking in that time.” And she wanted to protest but he was probably right. She still glared at him though.

“Fine, but just kissing, no other stuff.” She said.

“Other stuff?” Loki asked, head cocking to one side.

“You know, other stuff.” Her skin felt flushed and his proximity was making her nervous, he let that predatory smile back on his voice when he spoke next.

“I think you might have to be more specific Miss Lewis.” He said, moving closer. She didn’t speak and he was still staring at her, all dark green eyes. “If you don’t say it I’ll just assume I’m allowed to do whatever I want.” That thought wasn’t an entirely unpleasant one.

“No, umm penetration.” She said, flushing at the word. It was odd that she was suddenly shy but her heart was beating fast and she felt skittish.

“Speak up.” He said, even though they both knew he had perfect hearing. Darcy narrowed her eyes.

“No penetration. In fact nothing below the waist.” She said firmly.

“I like your feet.” His eyes dropped down to the heels she was wearing, small red ones with straps round the front.

“Fine, above the waist and my feet.”  She tried to resist the urge to squirm.

“And your knees.” He said, eyes working their way up. Darcy felt heat wherever he looked.

“Ok, and my knees.” She said, imagining him stroking that spot just behind her knees. The spot that was just on the right side of tickling.

“In fact, I seem to like all of your legs.” He continued, eyes tracing up her thighs, and now she was getting a little bit breathless which was ridiculous because he hadn’t even touched her yet.

“Umm, ok, my legs as well.” She said finally, and now his eyes were heading up, and he was staring at her waist, and her chest and all the parts of her she wanted to hide from him when he was making her feel like this.

“Why don’t you just let me do what I like, just for these seven minutes.” He said lowly, stepping forward so their bodies nearly brushed, his eyes on hers. She could almost feel the line of him against her

“No.” She said firmly, and he seemed amused. “Anywhere below my underwear is off limits. And I keep all of my clothes on.” Now he seemed disappointed. “Shall we get this over with?” She said, turning towards the closet with more strength than she felt. She opened the door and went in, hearing it click behind her. The room was immediately pitch black and she scrabbled with her phone to get the light up. It was small even for a closet, probably only big enough for four people if pushed. It was also suspiciously empty. She narrowed her eyes and then jumped when the door opened and he came in. The light was bright for a second, illuminating him. Then the door shut and it was dark again except the light from her phone. She ignored him in favour of searching for the timer on her phone.

“I need to put a timer on.” She explained, while she was having trouble finding it. 

“I can tell you when it’s been seven minutes.” He said and she raised a dubious eyebrow at him.

“Yeah because you wouldn’t lie about that.” He didn’t even have the grace to look offended, instead just smiled shamelessly. Darcy felt a bit dazzled for a second, and looked back down to set up the timer. With a final grunt of triumph she set it, and had her finger over the button. “It’s really dark in here.” She said, apparently wanting to buy some time.

“I can see you perfectly.” He said, in a way that sent butterfly’s to her stomach. She swallowed once and then nodded.

“Ok, I guess I’ll just start it now then.” She said, and set the timer before putting it on the floor. Immediately the lack of light made the tension rocket and she was all too aware of how close he was to her. She straightened up and although she couldn’t see she could feel him shifting, his body right in front of hers. He moved forwards slowly, and Darcy suddenly felt way to exposed and nervous and she was backing up away from him. She hit the wall gently, and he carried on moving until his body was just centimetres away from hers. She jumped when he spoke, breath hot in her ear and she hadn’t even realised he’d moved.

“Remember. You will not touch me.” He stayed there for a second, and she could feel his breath on her neck. A shiver passed its way up her skin and all she could hear was the sound of her breath in the tiny room. Her heart was racing and she was so tense when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her neck she jumped. Loki chuckled against her skin and started pressing close mouthed kisses all along her neck and up her jaw. Darcy jumped when she felt his hand sliding up the bottom of her shirt to rub circles on her lower back and she felt her hips tilt forwards as he did. His lips moved up, to her ear lobe and she felt it taken in by wet heat. She groaned a little, and fisted her hands in her skirt to stop herself touching him. He growled against her and moved in closer, pressing her body against his.  Everything was so heightened in the dark, all she could concentrate on was the feeling of him. She felt his erection against her hip and she wanted to rub against it so badly she gasped with the frustration of holding back. His mouth moved now, letting her ear go to take her lips. He licked into her mouth, kissing her deep and slow. She moaned against his mouth and wanted to reach up and tangle her fingers in his hair. His other hand did just that, reaching into her hair to pull tightly and she groaned, hands flexing against her skirt again, nails scraping her skin. His chest rumbled as he made an animalistic sound and the hand on her back reached up higher, rubbing her back before it travelled down. It went over her arse, squeezing a cheek and pressing her against him before it carried on down, sliding under her skirt to lift her knee up to his waist. He pressed himself against her, dick sliding against the fabric of her panties. She gasped as she felt the firmness rub against her clit. While this wasn’t penetration it definitely didn’t count  as just kissing either. It felt like she had gotten the raw end of the deal here, that she was giving up much more than he was. He rolled his hips again as he kissed her, and they both groaned when his shaft slid under her. He was angled so his dick was rubbing against her slit, between her lips and the hand in her hair let go to lift her other leg up and onto his hip. He now had her pressed straight against the wall, legs either side of him while he sucked her tongue into his mouth. She moaned again, breathless and stopped to let her breath for a second. Loki let go of her hips, pressing into her firmly enough that she wouldn’t slide down the wall and grabbed her wrists in his hands. He lifted them up, holding them above her head in a way that made them ache in the best way. He kissed her again, roughly biting her lip before his tongue was in her mouth and against hers. He was rubbing against her and Darcy was starting to feel like she was close. Her panties were soaked and every time he brushed up against her clit her legs shook a little. She wanted to rock against him, to give them both the extra friction they needed but she knew she wasn’t allowed to move. He was making these noises, perfectly in time to the hitches in her breath and it just made everything hotter. A noise broke through the heavy breathing and it took her a few moments to realise what it was. Her phone was buzzing against the floor, the alarm going off. She looked down at it in a panic and Loki released one of her arms to grab her jaw. He turned her face so she was looking straight at him.

“Do you want me to stop?” He asked, his voice all gravelly and strained. He was still pushing against her, his eyes intense and both of her hands now in one of his. She was so close, just a few more seconds away from coming and he knew it. He looked straight into her eyes and thrust up once, underside of his dick rubbing her clit. She groaned and tried to look away but he didn’t let her. “I asked you a question.” He said, in such a strong tone she felt her pussy clench. She tried to close her eyes but he growled a warning and her eyes flew open. Darcy was breathing hard and right on the edge but he slowed and she knew he would stop if she didn’t answer.

“No.” She said, something in his eyes changed, a deep satisfaction and something like _ownership_. Darcy didn’t have time to think about this, his hand let go of her jaw and bought their faces together in a deep kiss. She felt his dick rub against her, sliding in between her lips and that combined with the way his tongue was brushing against hers made her come. She gasped into his mouth and he growled, rubbing her through it, the waves of it before she finished and she pulled away, leaning her head up against the wall. It was then she realised the fucking alarm was still going off, and he still hadn’t come. She shook her wrists and he got the message, removing his hands to place them on her hips. She licked her hand and slid her palm between them, underneath his pants to grab him. He gasped, and leant forward to bury his face in her neck. She was jerking her hand along his length and could feel he was close, her hand brushing against her pussy as she moved it. “Come.” She ordered and he groaned. Darcy had the foresight to aim him towards himself, hot white spurts of come hitting his shirt.  They stayed like that for a few minutes, his face in her neck and she realised one of her hands was absentmindedly stroking his hair. She stopped when she realised what she was doing and his head moved a bit, before he pulled back to look at her. They met each others’ eyes and she looked away quickly, everything feeling suddenly too intimate. He shifted a bit and he pulled away, setting her gently back on the ground, careful not to brush his shirt against her.  She straightened her clothing before turning off the alarm. Darcy opened the door and walked out on shaky legs, Loki following behind. He walked off to the side, and she heard him open a drawer, obviously changing his shirt from the come covered one he was wearing. She wanted to turn, to watch him as he got changed but it felt too intimate, and she was still feeling a bit unsettled from what happened between them. It was strange but it had felt so natural for them to switch like that. So effortless for their roles to change and the other one to be in charge. She had never had any sexual relationship like that before, where everything was so fluid. Out of anyone she thought she might have it with Loki was definitely not on that list. Darcy ignored it, focussed instead on the nice satisfied feeling in her limbs and sat down at her desk. That was when Darcy remembered the reason they didn’t fuck in the mornings – it made them both antsy for the rest of the day. Work was pretty difficult to concentrate on when you smelt like sex. They had managed to waste more of her shift than she was comfortable with so she was power-working to get rid of the guilt when he walked over.

“I suppose you don’t want this then.” He said with some amusement as he dropped the thong onto the table. The leather straps were green, and it looked way less substantial than it had in the photo. Darcy picked it up, didn’t even comment on the fact it had only taken him seconds to make, and lifted it up to him.

“Put it on now.” She said, having learnt her lesson on asking him to do anything. He paused, hand tapping against her desk.

“Right now?” He said, cocking his head.

“Did I stutter?” Darcy asked, and stared at him until he started taking off his clothes. She watched him take off his sweatpants, sliding them over his feet before he eyed the selection of strings.

“I think you put the ring on first and then tighten the strings.” She said, and he glared at her before making his face deceptively blank.

“Maybe you should help me.” He said, head down looking up at her through his lashes, biting his lip gently. Unfortunately, even with his impressive cock, the fact that he still had his shirt and socks on just made him look like a child.

“Do I look like your mother?” She asked with a laugh and he rolled his eyes before stepping into the thong. It took a bit of wriggling, and a lot of what she would guess were swear words, but he managed it. She walked closer, and motioned for him to lift up his shirt which he did. The lines of green leather were in a pattern around his crotch and his dick was completely bare, just the ring tight around it. She reached down, tracing her fingers lightly along his shaft and he took in a sharp breath. Darcy looked up and smiled at him, noticing the way his eyes were dark and his breathing was heavier. She didn’t know that much about cock rings but she had read that it allowed the blood to go in but more difficult for it to come out. She looked back down at his dick, which seemed to be getting harder and both of them watched her stroke the shaft again. “Sweatpants back on.” She said, thinking that they wouldn’t do a very good job of hiding his erection but not really minding. He complied, and they back to work, both of them impatiently awaiting the end of her shift. About an hour later there was a buzz on the door. The sound made her jump and she looked up to meet Loki’s eyes, a confused frown there. One of the guards walked in and towards them, and Darcy suddenly felt irrationally nervous.

 “You’re required in one of the lower labs, they are having an issue understanding some information.” The guard said, hand resting casually on the massive gun he bought in with him.

“They are humans, I’m sure all they find most information difficult to understand.” Loki replied, and Darcy raised her eyebrows because sometimes she forgot what an arse he could be.

 “It wasn’t a request.” The guard said, and Loki bristled at him. Darcy could see she was going to have to step in before there was murder.

“Ok, which labs? We’ll make our way down.” She said, stepping in front of Loki to at least try and block his view.

“I have been ordered to escort you both.” He said, making it very clear that he wouldn’t be leaving without them.

“Fine, let me just grab my bag, and then we can go.” She said, turning  to pick up her stuff. Her eye caught on the front of Lokis’ sweatpants, the biggest erection she had ever seen him have very obvious through them. She quickly glanced up to him in surprise but he was refusing to look at her. She turned slowly to the guard, who was staring right at Loki with no emotion. It took her a second, but then Darcy realised he must have used some sort of magic so the guard couldn’t see it. Either that or the shield agents were really, really well trained. “I guess we better get going then.” Darcy said, a smile on her face and the feeling that this outing was gonna be a lot of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always for all the comments, kudos and hits, I appreciate all of them :D  
> Next Time: Loki is trying to restrain himself in public, blow jobs and they actually use a bed for once.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, you guys are awesome, I love the comments and suggestions, I’ll be sure to work some of them in ;)  
> This got a bit cracky in places but I guess thats just how Darcy on Loki seem to interact with each other here, oops :D I sort of wanted to show that they could be friends instead of just people who have sex with each other.  
> Trigger warning : He’s totally getting tied up (you’re welcome Mandy ;p ) so if anyone has triggers about that sort of thing give the last section a miss.

* * *

 

 

It was strange- being outside the lab with him. Darcy hadn’t realised how physical she had gotten with Loki, running her fingers through his hair through the day or biting his neck as she walked past. But they were being watched. Every move catalogued and defined, and Darcy wondered how much help the scientists really needed, and how much was just a test for the two of them. She was very careful with him, kept her hands to herself, and didn’t even let her gaze linger too long. Which was difficult with the massive erection he was sporting thanks to the cock ring. That he had somehow magicked so no-one else could see. Loki seemed completely normal, like didn’t affect him at all.  It was only 'cause she knew him so well, well his body so well, that she could recognise the signs that he was tense. He had stopped moving like he did in the lab. Normally, he was in constant motion, moving from one thing to the next, but then his body was unnaturally still, and she could see in the way he walked he was trying not to jostle himself too much.  The walk had taken ten minutes and she could tell as much as he would deny it, Loki liked being in another area. Darcy felt a twinge of sympathy for him, being kept as he was for so many months, but she pushed it down when she remembered exactly why. Sadly his enjoyment at being out of the lab didn’t extend to him actually co-operating. There were three scientists in the room, a pile of agents and a load of guns. Darcy would have felt intimidated but she was pretty used to the heavily armed people being around whenever Loki got let out.

“There is work on the table.” Were the last words of the agent who had escorted them down before he left. Loki had ignored this, and the scientists shooting awe-filled looks at him, and instead walked over to floor-ceiling windows and stared out them. Darcy noticed the guard posted there getting shifty and wondered briefly if he broke them open, if he would be able to leave. She pondered this while resting her bag on the table and pulling out a half-finished Sudoku. She wasn’t naive enough to think it would be a quick visit. After ten minutes and a finished puzzle Darcy sighed and walked over to him.

“Don’t be a dick, at least take a look at it.” She said and Loki blinked at her once, slowly like a cat. He turned his head, looked at the table the handout was laying on, and faced her again. Raised his eyebrows as if to say ‘there’. And Darcy had to restrain her smile, because she always loved what a little shit he could be.

“Maybe a closer look.” She suggests, lips pressed to stop herself laughing.  Darcy watched the way his eyes crinkled at the sides, the edges of humour seeping into his affected boredom. She pushed on him to get him to walk over. He of course, didn’t move and she ended up much closer to him than was appropriate considering everyone in the fucking room was staring at them. Darcy felt her leg brush up against a part of him that is poking out. They both froze, and his eyes went curiously blank.  Suddenly he moved away and towards the sheet and Darcy smothered her laugh behind a cough. The dick she had just brushed against had been very, very hard, and no wonder he was being difficult.  She heard footsteps walk up next to her and didn’t bother to turn.

“Miss Lewis.” Said the crisp voice next to her. Darcy waited until he stood next to her and turned, facing the man.

“Coulson.” She said. _Ipod thief and pain in the ass,_ she thought

“You two have been working together for several months now.” He said, watching her face.

“Mmhm.” She replied vaguely.

“Yet, the amount of assistance he has been providing Dr.Foster has been minimal.” He continued, and didn’t that just sound like an accusation. Darcy turned to him, angry suddenly.

“How long was he here before you hired me? A year? Six months?” She paused to stare at him. Coulson didn’t even twitch. “And how much help did he provide then? In between making shield agents crap themselves? I’m guessing none.”

“I am merely saying, you are working with him and it doesn’t seem to be having any effect.” He replied and Darcy thought of getting Loki on his knees, getting him to beg. That didn’t seem like nothing to her. It also wasn’t something she was going to share because even she had boundaries sometimes.  Darcy bristled, readying herself for a fight with him when another agent came over and whispered something into Coulsons’ ear. He gave a curt nod to the agent, excused himself and went to talk to another agent at the door. She watched him nodding, the two of them deep in conversation before he left the room

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“I’m bored.” Loki said an hour later, walking up to the desk she was sorting notes on. Even though this wasn’t her lab she always got the same maternal feeling around scientists that made her want to make things a little easier for them. Darcy sighed and turned to him. She let her eyes flick down to his dick, and then back up to his face quickly. It was a shame other people couldn’t see it, it was quite something tenting through his pants like that.

“Really? You’re bored?” She asked dubiously, but somehow her words came out lower than she wanted, not quite recovered from the sight in between his legs. They stared at each other for a minute, his eyes dropping down to her lips, which she licked reflexively. All she wanted to do was reach in between them and help him out so she put her hands in her hoodie pocket to stop herself. He followed the movement and his mouth opened slightly, like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. She felt a current running through her, and she knew that it wasn’t the right place for them to be eye fucking, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Their bodies weren’t even that close together, both of them keeping some distance but it didn’t mean it didn’t tell everyone something.

“Yes.” He finally replied and it took her a second to remember what she’d asked him. He noticed the delay and that smug look came onto his face. All lusty satisfaction that made her feel a bit shaky.

“Well, there’s a printout over there that you could explain to the scientists. I know how much you enjoy talking down to people.” She said and he smiled wider.

“I do, but there are other things I would rather be doing.” Loki replied, in a way that she knew exactly what he’d rather be doing. She wanted to ask him, in detail, exactly what he would rather be doing. Make him tell her in that hot, low growl that he used when he’s turned on. She felt a tingle pass over her skin.

“Miss Lewis, Mister Odinsson.” They both jumped at the other voice, and turned to see Coulson walking over to them. Lokis’ face was not what you’d call calm and collected, and Darcy felt the same inside but hopefully masked it better. “I see you-“ Coulson started and Loki just walked off, to apparently stand somewhere else in the room. Darcy watched him, and mused idly that the erection had gotten slightly easier to avoid looking at, it just took some concentration. Coulson was watching her, watching Loki and Darcy wondered how much she was accidentally giving away. “You have been staying late.” Coulson said, breaking the silence.

“If by late you mean about an hour later than my very short four hour shift. Then yeah, I have.” She said, already not enjoying the conversation.

“The reason you gave my guards was ‘the full moon.’”

“Thats the reason Loki gave me.”

“And you didn’t find that questionable?”

“They full moon is a very powerful thing.” She said sincerely, enjoying the muffled sigh that got from him. Coulson looked at her pointedly. “Look, you wanted me to work for him, with him, whatever. I am. If you have a problem with the fact that I am working late, take it up with him.”

“He’s not the one employing you.”

“No, but if I want to keep work even slightly civil it helps to do what he says.” She replied, her mind getting caught in the way that she phrased that. “I mean, some things. Do some things he says.” And she really seemed to be making this sound worse.

“Your relationship certainly seems less explosive.”

“Yeah I guess. “

“Almost companionable.” Coulson noted, Darcy bristled at the implication.

“If you had wanted me to actively hate him you should have put that in the job description.”

“When you first met you seemed to.” He pointed out.

“Well thats not really sustainable is it?” She said back snippily.

“Isn’t it?” He asked.

“Not for most people. _Normal people_.” Darcy said pointedly.

“Well, how would you describe your relationship with him now?” He asked, casually like the question wasn’t loaded. _Fuck- buddies, friends with benefits, people mutually using each other_ she thought.

“Boss, employee. Or co-workers I guess. People who do work in the same room. Take your pick.” She faced Coulson then, arms crossed, angry at how this was feeling like an interrogation.

“Is that all?” He asked, and Darcy couldn’t hide her face when it twitched. She had never had that good a poker face. Instead she mustered her best indignant face and got ready to tear him a new one when there was a crash across the other side of the lab. Both of their heads whipped round to see Loki standing in front smashed glass on the floor. As they watched him knocked another one off the table he was standing next to.

“Ooops.” He said as he reached for test tube rack, and really Darcy knew she ought to do something to stop him. Instead everyone in the lab watched him knock it to the floor casually, like a cat batting a ball of string.

 “Excuse me.” She said finally walking over to him, the glass crunching under her boots.

“Having fun?” Darcy asked. And as much as she had wanted to shout at him for being a brat Darcy knew he was smart enough to see that the conversation with Coulson wasn’t going well. That that was his way of saving her, even if it meant the floor was now covered in glass. For a moment she worried about his bare feet but then she remembered his immortality.

“The time of my life.” He replied dryly, and then grabbed another beaker, offering it to her. Darcy kept in her grin and shook her head no. Loki sighed dramatically and dropped it next to them.

“We’ve been here two hours.”  She said, after stopping him burning paper on the Bunsen burner. Her eyes flickered down to his dick and then pointedly back to his face. She tried not to be impressed but it really couldn’t be comfortable for him like that, Asgardian or not.  She would have been worried about his health but cock rings were probably not the biggest challenge he had to face as a warrior. Darcy tried a different tactic. “Aren’t you hungry?” Darcy asked and he looked up from the machinery he was fiddling with, grazed his eyes over her with a feral smile.

“I could eat.” He said, in that way and she always hated that he was so good with innuendo. Her eyes widened in alarm and Loki rolled his. “They cannot hear us.” He said, tinkering again.

“They’re spies, they can lip read.” She pointed out and his lips twitched in a repressed smile.

“I have thought of that, we are currently mouthing lyrics to various songs of the 1970s and 80s.” Loki said and Darcy paused because she hadn’t expected that.

“Abba?” She asked, remembering introducing him to them a few weeks back. He gave a non-comittal shrug. Darcy turned to the side and watched one of the junior agents, his face scrumpled in concentration and confusion. She bit her lip to keep her smile in and turned back to Loki, eyebrows raised. He smirked back at her, eyes on her lips. Darcy swallowed and tried to concentrate, crossing her arms.

“We’ve been here a long time, you’ve made your point. They all know you don’t want to help them.”

“Then I shouldn’t have to.” He said.

“It’s part of whatever agreement you made with them.” She argued back.

“Before you worked for me-“ He started.

“With you.” She said and he glared at the interruption.

“I used to antagonise them until they let me go.”

“Well why do you be extra bitchy when you explain things to them? That’ll be fun.”

“It’s because they’ve seen you shout at me.” He said, seemingly ignoring her.

“And? You like it when I shout at you.” She said, letting her voice go husky in that way she knew he liked. Loki looked surprised and for a second Darcy thought she saw a blush on his cheeks before he returned to scowling.

“It makes them think I can be controlled.” He explained.

“You can be.” Darcy replied pointedly, thinking about all the ways she’d already proved it.

“Only because I allow it.” Loki returned sternly and she felt like saying ‘yes dear’ in her most patronising voice but could see this was actually bothering him. Weird.  _Feelings_ part of her whispered in awe, and the other part of her freaked out because she had never been good at dealing with those. A thought shot through her that he was struggling with their relationship, that submitting to her might be taking a much harder emotional toll than she first realised. Darcy stared up at him, and his face turn to confusion and what might have been fear. She might have missed the ‘gender politics in Asgard’ lecture at college, but Darcy knew some subs struggled to reconcile their sexual identity within their personality. It was her job topping him to make sure he felt comfortable and unashamed in his own skin. _Right?_ She took a deep breath and realised she had been staring really hard at him for like a minute.

 “Yeah of course. And you’re decision to sub in no way affects your identity as a man. Unless of course you want it to, and you define yourself by that then fine, great. But you should not feel emasculated by what society tells you men should like.” She was on a roll by then. “Submission isn’t a feminine thing, you have every right-“

 “What are you doing?” He asked, cutting her off mid sentence. She was a little out of breath so took the chance to get some air in.

“Trying to comfort you?” She asked weakly, and saw his face, the look of horror but also amusement and figured she’d definitely gotten the wrong end of the stick. When he didn’t speak she readied herself to carry on.

“Stop.” He said, and she did, feeling stupid. “I am perfectly comfortable in my choices Miss Lewis. My decision to submit to you is just that, mine. I have no fears about being ‘emasculated’ by my position to you, it is simply how I choose to spend my time. It does not have to be an issue of gender.” And Darcy may have gawped a little because there was nothing she found more attractive than people willing to own their kinks. “It is simply inconvenient this way. I require things to go back to when they emptied their bowels when they saw me.” Darcy blinked because- _ok_. Served her right for trying to bring rational thought into a conversation with him.

“Did that happen?” She finally got out, sighing.

“On occasion.” He said, wistfully gazing into the distance, as if recalling a fond memory. Darcy scowled at him. “The point is, they think that I can be reasoned with now. Because of you.” Loki said, turning back to her accusingly.

“I would never call you reasonable.” She replied, and he seemed to jump on that.

“Precisely! We need to help them remember that.” He smiled at her widely, and Darcy got a sudden, strong urge to cause some mischief with him. She would have never expected him to have such an influence on her, that one smile could make her so willing to bend to him. But there was a twinkle in his eyes that only meant bad things, and not in the fun sexy way.

“No.” She said, firmly, even as she felt excitement run through her. He smiled wider.

“I have not suggested anything yet.” He moved closer to her, leaning over so she had to look up. There was sun coming in from the windows behind him and Darcy wondered how someone so angelic could be the source of so much trouble.

“It’s still a no.” She replied.

“It will be nothing permanently damaging.” He reasoned, his eyes now up and darting around the room.

“Not. Comforting.” Darcy said.

“I could swap their hands for their feet.” He said thoughtfully and she stared at him before speaking, wondering if he was just fucking with her.

“No.” She said finally.

“I could give them all the ability to understand rodents.”

“Is that really a bad thing?”

“Do you have any idea the number of rodents there are? All they choose to do is gossip.”  

“Of course.” She said vaguely, wondering if he actually could do that or if she needed to question his sanity a bit more.

“I could make Coulson hear ‘Motherfucking’ whenever anyone says ‘Agent’.”

“So people would greet him-“ Darcy said, smiling.

“Motherfucking Coulson. Yes.” Loki finished, a mischievous smile on his face. “Or, only when that one eyed man greets him.” Darcy got a sudden image of Director Fury in a meeting and Coulson being the most confused of his life.

“Don’t do that.” She tried to say firmly but it was difficult to do when she was laughing. He carried on, detailing  various pranks he could play, talking seriously but she could still see the sides of his eyes crinkling.  He was playing her, he could do whatever he wanted anyway. _So why is he asking me?_ She thought, even as she was laughing at what he was saying. It felt weird, both of them being on almost the same side for once. It made her feel warm, and happy but she knew him, knew his games and knew she had to stop it before something very bad actually happened. He was coming up with ideas so fast, hands practically casting some magic already. It was amazing he could think at all with all the blood rushing down there.  An idea popped into her head on how to convince him to help them. Darcy moved forward, body close to his but not touching, at least not any part other people would be able to see. She opened her thighs slightly, brushed one leg against his erection. He froze, eyes widened slightly as he looked at her. She watched him swallow.

“They can still see.” He said, his voice the very definition of strained, and any humour there had been between them left to a whole other feeling.

“I know.” She said, feeling heat rush in between her legs at what she was doing. In front of all those people. Darcy swallowed and wanted to run her thumb across his bottom lip. It was all plump and slick, and why did being denied something make it ten times hotter? She brushed up against him again and he looked off to the window, jaw tense. She was close to him, but luckily his dick was out far enough that they just passed for standing quite close together. Or so Darcy hoped. His breath was coming faster now and it hit her the fully what she was actually doing. “Help them, and we can go back to your lab.” She said, brushing against him again. Even the feeling of his hard dick brushing up against her was making her hotter. She swallowed and carried on, avoiding his eyes so at least they wouldn’t give her away. “We can use that bed you’ve been hiding, and I can suck your brains out through your dick.” The image it put to mind was a vivid one and Darcy could feel heat creep onto her cheeks because what the fuck was she thinking? They might have been in a corner of the lab but it didn’t mean they weren’t being watched. Instead of this thought stopping her, it just spurred her on.  Darcy brushed against him again, and heard the hiss of breath he let out. Their eyes met and it was odd how intimate it felt between them. “Help them.” She repeated, a bit of an order seeping through in her voice. Loki stilled.

“Are you telling me to do this?” He asked, voice strained but cold, and she could see what he was really asking. If she was using the fact she dommed him to make him do this, something he was clearly against. The thought made her uncomfortable and she took a second before replying. She moved away from him slightly so they could both think.

“No, I’m asking you.” Darcy said firmly, and watched his face shift. She thought she’d have to barter with him, make some sort of deal, explain that she hates Coulson breathing down her neck. Instead Loki just looked at her, watching her face for something and then finally nodded. He turned, and walked over to the scientists, leaving her standing there confused.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It still took another forty five minutes for him to explain the readings to them, his face getting more and more pained at each question.  At one point after an especially slow scientist, he glared at her across the room, which she felt down to her toes. Darcy had smirked, licked her lips and mouthed back ‘blow job’. That made him stop talking for a second before he returned to explaining the data with renewed effort.  Coulson carried on watching her, and she knew they would be trying all sorts of techniques on the cctv footage to find out what she said to him but she trusted Loki enough that he would keep it hidden. Or at least spam them with Abba lyrics. When the scientists were finally satisfied and very grateful, Darcy picked up her bag and walked towards the door, Loki joining her. They didn’t speak, both of them walking along companionably. She had the sudden urge to reach out and take his hand so Darcy had stuffed her hands in her hoodie. It had been a weird day.

“Miss Lewis, you can finish for the day.” Coulson said, walking up to where they were facing the door, watching both of their reactions carefully.

“She still has work to do.” Loki said, voice growling slightly. It had been a long day, for both of them, and stressful and Darcy could see he had reached his limit for Coulson. Neither of them liked being watched, and the fact that the agent had hung around for the hours they had been there instead of whatever else important stuff, had kept them both on edge.

“Not contractually.” Coulson replied, seemingly unfazed by the death glare Loki was giving him. Darcy spoke, putting her body in between them slightly.

“What sort of attitude would that be? I have a job to do right?” She said, turning to Loki, who had a look on his face that made Darcy want to at least stroke his dick a little. _Poor guy_. She thought.

“You do.” Loki said, voice low and full of innuendo again, and she could have face palmed but she was pretty sure he didn’t realise he’d said it so hungrily. Darcy tried to focus.

“Okay then, see you Coulson.” She said, walking out the door with Loki in tow, and a troop of armed guards.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Fifteen minutes after that, Loki was tied up on his bed, pants of, thong on show. Darcy had made him make the ropes, green strips that she tied round his wrists and ankles, tying him to the four corners of his bed.  His bed took up half of the space of the room, which was actually surprisingly small. She had tied the rope to him, her short-lived girl-scouting career coming in handy for once, and made him lie back on the bed. He did with a groan, leaning back on his arms to look at her.

“You need a safeword.” She said firmly, and he carried on eye fucking her.

“A what?” He asked distractedly, and ok he’d probably earnt the right to be less than focussed.

“A word that will stop us both, if you’re feeling uncomfortable for any reason.” She said, and he seemed to focus at that, his brow creasing.

“I’m a god, untying ropes are not beyond my talents.”

“Thats not the point. Safeword.” She said, and could see he still didn’t get it. He continued to frown at her, Darcy rolled her eyes. “Something that will stop us both. Something that is unsexy, or you’re unlikely to say normally in bed.” He looked off to the side, and it was hard to know if he was sulking or thinking really hard.

“Frost.” He said, just when she was about to ask, and his voice was very quiet.

“Okay.” She said, and seeing that he was looking a bit serious suddenly, she took off her shirt. His eyes instantly went down to her bra, and when she took that off, to her bare tits. She started tying his legs to each corner and worked her way round to his left hand. Darcy reached for it, stroking his palm for a moment before she tied it to the corner. She had him attach rings to each corner so she could tie the ropes on easily, and she made sure they weren’t too tight either side. She straddled him when she was done, sitting on his chest to kiss him before she moved over and tied his right hand. Finished, Darcy stood at the foot of the bed to look at him. He was spread-eagled, his pale skin bright against his dark green sheets. His hair was splayed underneath him and he was looking at her with heavy, dark eyes and an impatient look. She took of the rest of her clothes, finishing with her underwear. Wherever his eyes touched it was like a physical sensation to her, when they travelled over her stomach and to the crux of her thighs, she felt warm heat in her belly. She felt suddenly desperate from the day, from having to wait for him and for this, and she wanted him in her more than anything. She crawled up the bed and straddled his hips, raising herself so she was just over his hard, throbbing dick.  Darcy was unsurprised to find herself wet, what with the time in the closet that morning, and the whole day of seeing him hard. So when she slid down onto him, she had forgotten that he was so much harder than usual. His dick was thicker, and when she finally bottomed out  he just felt bigger, she was almost uncomfortably full. They were both breathing heavily, and she had her palm splayed out on his chest, supporting herself. When she finally moved, it was a rocking motion that made them both groan, her nails scratching on his chest. Darcy started to pick up the pace, and she saw the moment Loki realised the full extent of his helplessness tied up like that. He didn’t even have enough movement to roll up against her, and it was one thing being told you couldn’t touch someone but physically being unable too was a massive challenge. He groaned in that half lusty-half frustrated way and lay his head back, giving her a view of his exposed throat. She smiled, and bent at the waist to suck his neck, but the feeling of bending with him in her, especially while she was moving, made her groan. “You won’t come until I do.” She ordered, and she knew it was unfair but she really didn’t care at that point. Darcy saw him nod, and grit his teeth and why was watching him deny himself so hot? She carried on riding him, reaching one hand down to start rubbing her clit. Darcy could feel herself getting closer, feel herself clenching around his dick a little bit tighter each time. She started sliding herself up and down while rocking into him until she found that spot that made everything more intense. Gasping she rode him harder, and saw him gripping the roped that kept him down harder as he growled underneath her. She could finally feel herself, right on the edge, the sensation of his dick in her, combined with her fingers on her clit making her come around him. The sensation was so intense her hips were stuttering and she had to brace herself on his chest while she rode it out. Finally, she stopped, breathing hard and realised he hadn’t come. Darcy just looked up at him, nodded and rolled her hips and that was it. All the control he had went and he came hard into her. She gasped at the feeling, his hot come filling her and she tensed around him, wondering madly if that was enough to make her come again. Darcy didn’t, and when he had finished, she pulled off him slowly and lay down next to him. She glanced over at his dick, all slick and covered in both of their fluids but that wasn’t the shocking thing. His dick was still hard. The fact he had come didn’t seem to have any effect at all. Darcy eyed it hungrily, wanted to lick it clean of both of them and make him come again.  She thought of the time, how long they had been in that room and the fact that she hadn’t really worked all the hours she was supposed to, but her working life was a massive grey area. She definitely had time for a little taste.

She rolled over again, lying on her belly, face to dick and looked up at him. He was looking down at her, his face all pained anticipation once he realised what she was planning.

“Remember to ask me before you come.” She said, mouth so close to him, breath ghosting on his skin.

“Yes.” He said, voice an impatient groan.

“Yes what?” She asked, leaning away from him and he groaned.

“Yes Ma’am.” He said, and she smiled before licking a long strip up his cock as a reward. She carried on doing this, random licks here and there all over his shaft. He was making these frustrated groaning noises that she loved, and when she finally exposed his head and swirled her tongue over it his moan sent shivers through her. It was such an uninhibited sound, and the fact that he was completely at her mercy, she had total control, was making her wetter. She sucked lightly on the head, placing a hand either side of his dick to steady herself, hands gripping his hips. She looked up at him, and took him completely into her mouth as he watched her.  Darcy sucked hard once, the size of him bigger than she expected, then lifted up, swirling her tongue as she did so. She carried on like this, taking him completely into her mouth before pulling off and teasing him a bit more for another ten minutes, the ropes on his wrists really being tested. The only noises in the room were his frustrated groans and the wet sounds of her sucking his dick. She finally reached down, cupping his balls in one hand and sucking hard on the tip of his dick and she felt him tense beneath her, her nails scratching into his skin. Without any warning he came, hard into her mouth and she swallowed it reflexively, the tangy taste wet on her tongue. He fell back on the bed with a groan and she pulled off him with a pop that made him shudder. Frowning Darcy undid the ties either side of the cock ring and the thong. She had chosen this one specifically so she could take it off when he was still a bit hard.  She leant back, waiting for him to say something. He didn’t and she found her annoyance building.

“You didn’t ask me for permission.” She said finally, only slightly surprised at the way he had casually defied her. His submission was never a given thing, and this just proved that she had to work harder at getting him in line.

“I don’t care.” He said, eyes closed, head back on the pillow, his body loose despite the ties.

“You should, I’m not untying you until tomorrow.” She said, standing up to put on her clothes. Loki just blinked at her, lazy in that post-coital glow. She was working on her bra when he spoke.

“What.” He said finally, voice growling when he finally caught up.

“Use your safeword if you’re not ok with that.” She said sternly and waited for him. He didn’t say anything, instead just glared at her. Darcy sighed. “Actually I’m gonna need some confirmation that you’re ok with this.” They stared each other out, and Darcy wondered if it would ever reach a point between them where his punishments weren’t so difficult for him to accept.

“I am ok with this. Ma’am.” He said, voice angry, and she got that chill she always got when she pissed him off.

“Good.” She said with a smile, and leant over to kiss him, hands either side of his face as she brushed her tongue against his. He seemed to relax under her, and she pushed him back into the pillows, scratching her nails along his head. When she pulled away they were both breathing heavily. “You’re a god, you’re not gonna die from this, just be mildly uncomfortable right?” She asked, and he nodded begrudgingly. His dick was already half hard again and as much as she wanted to stay she had home to get to, food to eat. “Ok then.” She said with a smile.

“This is ridiculous.” He said petulantly, staring up at the ceiling.

“I dunno, I think it’s sort of hot, you all tied up naked on this bed, waiting for me. Unable to get away. I could do whatever I wanted to you.” She said, staring at him hungrily. He swallowed and Darcy started to forget the reasons she shouldn’t stay when her stomach rumbled. “Alright, I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow, or at least not past noon. Don’t get into any trouble. You can magic yourself food right?” She asked, walking towards the door. He nodded moodily, staring at the ceiling again and Darcy smiled. “Alright then, see you tomorrow then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I never really acknowledged the whole him being a frost giant thing, not to mention much on his fucked up relationship with his family because I figured it’s not something Darcy would know about. As they get more into each other, and actual feelings appear, this will all be dealt with, but not for a while because they’re both scaredy cats.  
> As you can probably tell, I wasn’t really sure what sort of reassuring rambling Darcy would give Loki. I just thought it would be hilarious for Darcy to try and be all comforting because she thought he was struggling with submitting to a woman and for that not to have even been the issue to begin with XD  
> Next Time: No sex, but plenty of lusty staring and whatnot (just for you Lara ), Coulson sends in the most obvious spy in the world and Loki is still tied to the bed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARGH this one was horrible to write! For some reason the words wouldn’t come and I drafted it like five times and it was all awful :( . I think I forgot how to write anyone who wasn’t Loki or Darcy in any situation where they weren’t arguing or having sex. Writing stuff to further the plot really sucks, so I think there will be no more of this :D
> 
> I love all the comments, to be honest i’m amazed anyones still reading this and I appreciate every read and kudos. I am still open to suggestions, although mainly sex-related since thats my thing from now and forever.

 

Darcy had very clear ideas about what she wanted to do to Loki when she got into work.  Him all tied up, angry but in that way she liked, just waiting for her to take the edge off. It gave her ideas, filthy ideas. She thought of them back in her apartment, skin wet and warm soaking in the ridiculously large tub. She thought of them while she danced in the kitchen, waiting for her food to heat up. She thought of them that night, hand between her legs, gasps tumbling from her lips. She hadn’t thought of her interaction with Coulson the day before. So when she had walked to the labs, a smug sway in her hips, she hadn’t been that worried to see a guy in a suit waiting for her. He wasn’t bad looking, but he had that agent thing that made her uncomfortable. They had a certain way of looking at you, so blankly and yet at the same time like they were working out your darkest secrets.

“I was advised to wait for you.” Said the guy, and Darcy cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to give more. She sighed when he didn’t. The agents always needed to be prodded.

“Who are you?” She asked and he straightened up, reaching out a hand.

“My name is Josh Clark. Agent Coulson sent me. I am here to assist Loki, as he hasn’t been forthcoming with the information for Dr.Foster.” He replied, and didn’t it just blow all of her plans for the day out of the water. _Fuck._

“I’m his assistant.” She said lamely, trying to come up with a reasonable way to get him not to come in. His hand was still out and she crossed her arms until he dropped it.

“Now I am too.” He said simply, and Darcy felt a sliver of panic. “Shall we?” He asked, but didn’t really because he was already opening the doors and walking through.  She scrabbled after him, going through the doors and setting her bag on the table as usual. She realised Loki wasn’t waiting for them in the room, then a second later realised exactly _why_ he wasn’t.

“Mr Odinsson?” Josh asked, looking out into the empty room. There was no answer, no movement, and Darcy waited with him. She knew Loki liked to make an entrance, but it really wouldn’t be that difficult for him to get out of those ropes. When, after a minute of nothing, Josh started to get twitchy, Darcy realised that Loki wasn’t actually going to come out. That for once, he was following her instructions and staying tied up to that bed. She tried to smother how hot that was.

“Come out.” She said quietly, knowing Lokis’ hearing was good enough and Joshs’ wasn’t. A few seconds later, Loki walked out into the room, looking un-ruffled as always and started picking up papers off of his desk, feigning boredom. Josh tensed slightly next to her, his hand jumping to his gun and if he thought that could make a difference the training must have been pretty shit. Darcy let out a breath and sat down, pouring herself a well- earnt cup of coffee. It was way too early for her to be this stressed.

“Who is this?” He asked casually, flicking through notes and pages.

“I don’t know. _Coulson_ sent him.” She said, making sure to stress the word. At that, Loki finally looked up, meeting her eyes with a raised eyebrow. She raised her own one back and wondered how their relationship had gotten to the stage that they could communicate through facial expressions. His gaze shifted to the man standing next to her desk, and she felt him stiffen next to her. There was a tense stand-off between them for a minute, and then Lokis’ voice drifted through the room, deceptively calm.

“Who are you?” He asked, his green eyes piercing.

“Josh Clark, I’m an assistant.”

“Why are you here?”

“Agent Coulson thinks it would be better for your productivity if I helped.” Josh said, his words clipped, rehearsed.

“I think it would be better for his productivity if he didn’t waste time sending agents to spy on me.” Loki replied.  And Darcy felt very stupid for not realising it straight away. Of course Coulson wasn’t just gonna let the conversation the day before slide unnoticed. “Leave.” Loki said to Josh, his gaze even more intense.

 “I’ve been assigned here.” Josh replied.

“Go somewhere else, we won’t tell.”

“I can’t.” Josh said, and he seemed to have relaxed a little. Obviously the god of mischief wasn't as threatening reading a book.

“If you don’t go, I’ll have to make you leave.” Loki said almost reasonably, leaving the threat hang in the air. Darcy was still sitting on the chair, watching them like they were some tv drama, but the way Loki had said it, she had no doubt it wouldn’t take much to make things violent. Josh stood up straighter and seemed to completely forget the 'not aggravating gods' part of his training before he spoke.

“You can’t hurt me.” Josh said, his voice filled with the cocky self-assurance of someone completely in the dark. Darcy saw Loki tense, could practically see him take that as a challenge. Darcy nearly head-desked. She wasn’t completely sure on what Loki could and couldn’t do any more, but she had no doubt he was creative enough to kill one agent if he wanted to. Judging by the look he gave him, he really wanted too.

“You should be scared of him.” Darcy said quietly, a bit disturbed by her reaction to the tension in the air. It was worrying that Lokis' murder-face was really working for her.

“You’re not.” Josh pointed out, turning away from Loki to look at her. _Bad move_ , she thought.

“Thats because I’m stupid.” Darcy said, and she felt Loki shift his eyes to her, narrowing. Josh gave her a once over, and let out a sort of snort before walking towards his own desk.

“Yeah, I guess you are.” And ok _rude_. Before Darcy had time to say anything, she saw Loki twitch, his whole gaze focused on this man who had come into their space and done nothing but piss him off. She recognised it, the way his body tensed, coiled as if to spring. He was furious, the intensity of his gaze at Josh so murderous,  another second and he was going to do something messy. Darcy felt a shiver run through her. _How did I forget how dangerous he is?_

“Loki can you show me where the data print outs are from the other day?” She said suddenly, jumping up from behind the desk and walking out the room, grabbing his arm on the way out. He came reluctantly, but luckily let her lead him, and she ignored the protests of Josh behind them as they walked into his bedroom and slammed the door. _Smooth_ , she thought. _Because the best way to get rid of any rumours about us fucking is to drag Loki into his bedroom._ She paced the room, trying not to look at him because Loki angry was a bit too close to Loki horny for her liking.

“Calm down. We just have to figure out how to get rid of him.” She carried on pacing, and his stillness was eerie next to her. He finally spoke, his words cutting through the tapping of her shoes.

“The reason this human is here is you.” Loki said angrily, and Darcy turned to him, crossing her arms. She was not going to take the blame for this one.

“If you had just helped Jane-” She said before he cut her off.

“Do not pin this on me. This is your fault for not being able to hide your attraction to me.” He was still now, gaze intent on her and she felt her mouth drop open slightly.

“Excuse me?” She said finally, trying to process what he said.

“That agent clearly saw through your lust filled gaze and –“

“You were the one with the massive erection.” She half shouted, and belatedly hope Loki had sound-proofed the room.

“That they could not see. Your lovesick eyes however.” And that was completely out of order. _Who the fuck even says ‘lovesick eyes’?_

“Since when did me trying to kill you with my brain get mistaken for love?” Darcy replied sarcastically.

“I am simply saying you could not manage to repress your attraction for one afternoon.”

“We wouldn’t have been there all afternoon if you had just helped them instead of being difficult!”

“It is not my job to be easy, just like it is not yours.” Loki replied, and it took her a second to get the full meaning of his words. Darcy felt as if she had been slapped, the words so brutal. That shock quickly washed away to the sort of anger that took her back to when they first met.

“I don’t remember you complaining when I had your cock in my mouth.” She said, walking towards him with a glare. And Darcy knew it was wrong, that all this shouting with him had made her wet. Had made her want to tie him onto that bed again and make him change his behaviour but she had figured out long ago that he reactions when it came to him weren’t exactly normal. Lokis’ eyes flared, his pupils a little wider as they dropped to her lips. He pulled them back quickly, moving forward.

“It was probably my fault, thinking a midgardian could control her feelings.” He replied,  meeting her halfway, his stare intense. She hated that she couldn’t fully deny what he was saying. She could feel her palms itching, the urge to reach up and pull his hair nearly irresistible. She kept her hands by her side.

“Because you’ve done such a great job not blurring the lines?” She said, pulling away from her thoughts.  “Like I didn’t just have to stop you starting a fight with him because he agreed with _my own insult_?” She watched him clench his jaw, turn his head away angrily.

“That is not the same.” He grit out.

“How?” She demanded, trying to focus instead of getting caught up on the line of his jaw. He opened his mouth to speak and closed it a few times.

“This does not help us get rid of him.” He finally got out, changing the subject. She raised her eyebrows at him and he glared at her. “We can talk about your boundary issues later, right now I need to fix this.” Darcy rolled her eyes and let the first part of his sentence go, seeing his point.  Besides hiding out in his bedroom did not make them any less suspicious.

“You should cut  a deal with Coulson.” Darcy said. “Actually be helpful for once in your life and then he’ll call off the spy.”

“That will simply show him how much I want the assistant gone. It will give him an advantage.” Loki said and she rolled her eyes.

“Believe it or not, not everybody is trying to piss you off as much as I am.” Darcy pointed out and he glared at her. “Coulson probably has more of an interest in actually getting you to help.”

“I should kill this agent, remind Coulson who he’s dealing with.” Loki said, in an entirely serious way that made all sex appeal fade to something actually terrified.

“Or.... another plan maybe?” Darcy asked.

“Enough, I have done this much longer than you have been alive. Me being kept back by you got us into this mess.”

“I am not going to apologise for stopping you from killing a man.” Darcy said, anger back again. It was like emotional whiplash talking to him.

“It would not be the first time.” He said, and Darcy looked at him wide-eyed and aware again of how calmly he was talking about _murder_.

“Well, just because you’ve done things before doesn’t mean you have to do them again. I’ve eaten whole tubs of ice-cream before, but I’ve learnt to stop doing that because it gives me some sort of weird sugar hangover and makes all other food taste weird for the rest of the day. So you know,” Darcy realised she had gone off on a tangent. “I stopped eating whole tubs of ice cream.” She trailed off at the end, Loki staring at her in a mix of confusion and annoyance. “What I’m trying to say is.... there are other ways to fix this, that aren’t just bad habits.” He raised an eyebrow at that, because he’d probably never had his homicidal tendencies put down as a ‘bad habit’ before.

“None that I can see.” Loki said, and she refused to believe that he really meant that. Darcy sighed, tried to reason with him.

“Just, let me try it my way, please.” She said, and his eyes seemed to soften a bit at the last word, a small crease appearing between his brows.

“Fine. You have an hour.” Loki finished, turning towards the door, leaving her standing there surprised he’d agreed. She didn’t want to know what would happen after that.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 "What were you two doing?" Josh asked, as they walked out of the bedroom, a notepad he was writing on hastily concealed in his pocket. Darcy rolled her eyes and went to speak when Loki did.

"Plotting ways to kill you." He said lightly, and Darcy sent him a glare. Josh looked taken aback but went back to that unfazed-bored look he had on before. "Are you going to write that down on your notepad? I can draw a diagram if you'd prefer." Josh flushed and hastily shoved the notepad further down into his pocket. 

"I don't know what you mean." He said, and Darcy snorted, sitting down at her desk. He glared at her. 

"Look, Josh-" Darcy started when he ignored her and spoke.

“There’s a broken mug on the floor. It’s a hazard.” Josh said primly, making Darcy raise her eyebrows. "Regulation 5-c of the lab management handbook says..." He continued and Darcy stared at him in annoyance. Loki ignored him and started scribbling on the blackboard. 

“I’ll be a hazard to you in a minute.” Darcy mumbled, and then said louder-  “Don’t touch it.”

“It could be dangerous.” He said as she took a long chug of her coffee.

"What they didn't cover walking round things in agent training? They're really lowering the standard." She replied sarcastically, she thought she saw Loki smirk.

"It needs to be removed." Josh said.

“It’s not yours to clean up.” Darcy replied, and sent a glare Lokis’ way.

“It’s hers.”  Loki said, and she really wanted to hit him. He sent her a pointed look and she sighed, taking a longer drink before walking over to Josh.

“So, Josh. What do we have to do to get you to leave?” Josh looked at her, surprised that she had been so blunt about it.

“I’m not leaving. This is my job.”

“Thats bullshit, you’re ‘job’ is to spy on us right?”

“But Couslons’ not stupid. He knows that Loki wouldn’t stand for you being here. He must have sent you with some sort of deal.”

“He didn’t.” He lied and Darcy restrained her eye roll.

“He did. So just tell us, we’ll figure it out, and you get to leave here.”

“Alive.” Loki said helpfully, scribbling some work down. Josh whipped his head to look at him, fearful for a second, then looked back at her, his smirky smirk returning.

“I have been assigned to work here, as an assistant. If anyone is going to leave,  it’s you.” Josh said, leaning back on the desk as if he had made some profound point. Because Darcy knew that if they had wanted her gone she wouldn’t have been able to walk into the lab that morning. Him being there was just to test Loki, to see his reaction to the situation. This didn’t stop Josh from being smug though. “I’m a trained agent.” He continued.  “What are you? A lab monkey whose fucking her boss?” He said, and his words stopped her short. She heard Loki gently place the chalk down on the table, and turn to face him. She was feeling nervous-tense, all of her anger at his comment washed away by the fact Loki seemed very close to breaking their agreement.

“Right.” Darcy said, her voice calm. “I’m a lab monkey whose been fucking the God of mischief. The guy whose well known for scheming, lying and oh yeah, murder. You see, you were sent here to spy on the two of us, to see whatever power I have over him to make him occasionally behave. I think you’re relying on him not killing you because I’m here. You think I have some sort of power over him that will stop him doing something that he _really_ wants to do.”  

“Killing you.” Loki said pleasantly and Joshs’ face paled significantly.

“But, it turns out, the amount of influence I have over him is related to how close my hand” She waved said hand. “is to his dick. And you, well, you’re probably the definition of a cock blocker.” At this point she could only imagine Loki was giving Josh more murder-face because he looked well and truly ready to shit himself.

“So, I’ll ask you again, what do we have to negotiate with Coulson, to leave us alone?”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

That was how then ended up sending Josh back to Coulson, alive, and with a page of hastily scribbled out notes to help Jane. They watched him leave, and Darcy turned to Loki with a smile.

“See.” She said, unable to resist rubbing it in.

“There is no guarantee it will keep him out of our way.” He pointed out, and he was practically pouting.

“No, but he said if you start being useful, and less of a shit-”

“Did he?” Loki questioned, interrupting her.

“I’m paraphrasing - then they should let us carry on like this.”

“Even though they know of our... relationship to each other?”

“I think Coulson is smart enough to recognise that if something is working you don’t try to fix it. It just means he’ll be expecting a bit more from you.” She said, and he rolled his eyes.

“It means he thinks he has leverage over me.” He replied, and all Darcy could do was shrug.

“It worked though.” She said, and saw him roll his eyes, but in that playful way where he wasn’t really as annoyed as he seemed. She sat back down at the desk with a smile, realising that now she would actually have work to do. Darcy started getting up some of Janes’ papers online, thinking that it might help if Loki was up to date on exactly where she was. From what she knew from Jane, converting Asgardian magic- to earth science was a bit of a challenge, even for someone who knew how the bi-frost worked inside and out like Loki did.

“Darcy.” Loki said, and she started, looking up at him where he was working on the board. “Don’t call yourself stupid again.” His words were quiet, but the order in them was clear.  She felt an odd tingle over her skin, that flush from having been scolded. Before she could say anything he turned back to the board and carried on. Darcy got back to her work, afraid of what she might say if she didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, I hope this was ok, my thinking was that they had to get confronted at some time about their work-relationship and what better way that with a cock- blocker? I dunno, but Josh did his job so now we will never see him again ;D  
> Next time: (next Monday I swear!) There is full on topping from Darcy, and some sort of decisions made on her part.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I have my grove back, either way I realised Darcy had been toppy, but not that toppy, so I decided to fix that, immediately :D  
> Sooooooo much smut. You’re welcome. I’m not sure if there’s any plot, and I might have given up writing it since all the porn comes so easy. We’ll see how this goes. I can’t believe how much I’ve written now, but I’m more amazed people are actually reading it :D

 

* * *

 

 

The agreement with Coulson went like this – Once a week, Loki had to provide some useful information to Jane in order to help her with the Bifrost. He also had to be available for trips out of the labs, and actually be useful there within a given time period. For this, they would be left blissfully alone while they worked on whatever it actually was that Loki was doing, and Coulson ignored the fact that they were going at it like rabbits. All in all it wasn’t too bad a deal. That Loki had agreed to it though, was very surprising. Darcy had been suspicious at first, the first sheet he had given her for Jane was met with ‘Are you sure you meant to do this? It’s actually useful.’. He didn’t appreciate the exaggerated sarcasm, but Darcy preferred that to trying to figure out why he was helping. It seemed too good to be true that it was just to keep them alone together. She wasn’t stupid enough to mistake what they were doing with an actual relationship worth compromising for.

She had talked to Coulson briefly, he had come down for the first official collection of documents for Jane. They had ironed out the agreement, and right as she was walking out the door he had stopped her.

“The situation you and Mr.Oddinsson are in. You are ok with it?” He had asked, and Darcy had taken a second to get the meaning. Whether or not she was being used by Loki. If she was ok with essentially being paid to fuck him and keep him in line. It made her angry, really angry.

“Whatever situation you might think we’re in. I’m in it willingly. We both are. He’s helping you now, which is exactly what you wanted from this.” She huffed out a long, angry breath. “Does it really matter to you anyway?” Darcy said, surprised at the bitterness she felt. It just seemed hypocritical that then they cared about it, made it seem like an afterthought. Like she hadn’t been in a vulnerable position to begin with. And a cynical part of her wondered if even if she was unwilling, they wouldn’t just make her stay because it suited their goals. Coulson didn’t say anything, and she had left the room feeling jaded.

The rest of work wasn’t that bad though. The tension wasn’t entirely gone from the argument her and Loki had had. The truth in what they had both said still stung, but Darcy was definitely not going near the whole ~feelings~ situation. She was determined to just ignore them until they got bored of fucking each other. It wasn’t the _best_ plan, but she really didn’t want to talk feelings with him. It felt too _adult_ , and lord knows she wasn’t a fan of being mature without a very good reason.  When she finally returned to work after the long weekend, Darcy decided she had to aim for normal. And for them, that meant pissing him off.

 

* * *

 

 

 

She had gone for simple make-up. Just a brush of eyeliner, pale pink lips. If you had looked at her, you might have noticed she was wearing heels, might have noticed the light black tights she had on. If you were looking carefully, you might have noticed the black lace fingerless gloves peaking out of her hoodie sleeves. Underneath that though, there was much more going on. Darcy was wearing a black corset that finished above her panty line, a garter belt, thigh-high tights attached to this and black, silk underwear which was rubbing distractingly between her legs. The corset was tight, but loose enough that she could survive work and after-work fun in it. Besides, it was worth being a bit uncomfortable when she knew the reaction it would get.

Darcy sat at her desk, and as she crossed her legs, she stretched forward, bending slightly at the waist to shift the skirt up. It crept up just far enough to show the top of her tights, and the bare flesh above it. She had started work ten minutes before, and so far Loki hadn’t seemed to notice anything was different. She tapped her nails against the desk as she carried on working and saw Loki turn from the board to look at her. His eyes dragged up her body, and she had positioned herself at an angle to give him the best view. She uncrossed her legs, crossed them again, flashing him briefly. Loki made a small growling sound. Darcy carried on working, ignoring the way her skin felt hot and tight, the dampness in her panties.

“After work.” She said, not looking up. Loki made another sound, all frustration, and it ran through her like a shiver.   _It’s going to be a long day,_ she thought.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was. Darcys’ plan of distracting him worked. Loki hardly did any work all day. He seemed to spend his time alternating between looking at her angrily and scribbling down the odd note. It was a relief, that he didn’t push it. That he actually respected her rule enough not to make a move during work. Because Darcy didn’t know if she would have been able to resist it.

They were in his bedroom, she had walked in there after her hours were up, waited for him on the bed. Loki had walked in lazily five minutes later, forever too cool to seem eager. She had hidden her smile as he stood in front of her, looking down to where she sat.

“You’ll do what I say for once?” She asked playfully and he shrugged. 

“I doubt your outfit is that impressive.” He said haughtily, and she smirked. Darcy took off her hoodie, revealing the tight-fitting vest top underneath. It was cut in a way that showed the healthy shelf of her boobs in the corset, and the soft curve of her waist. Loki let out a breath, a low growly sound as he traced her body. It was the sort of sound that made Darcy instantly alert. Made certain parts of her _very_ alert. Loki seemed to be breathing a bit faster as her fingers traced the bottom of her top.  She pulled her hands away to stand and walk towards him. Loki watched her as she moved, and when she reached him she grabbed his shirt. She tugged the hem lightly.

“Shirt off.” Darcy said, and reached for the hem, taking it off. Darcy watched his body as he moved, considered getting him to just lift things around the lab so she could watch some more. _Later_ , she thought. She lifted her hand and traced it over his bicep, squeezing the firm muscle there. She let out a happy sigh and looked up to see him rolling his eyes at her. Darcy stuck her tongue out at him, enjoyed the way he focussed on the flash of pink.

“Hands behind your back.” Loki moved, arms pulled tight to cross behind his back, each hand gripping the other elbow. Darcy was relying on him to keep himself in line. It seemed like more of a test that way. That _he_ had to stop himself, because nothing else would.

“Close your eyes.” Darcy said next, and watched him carry on staring at her. She could see the reservation on his face. His green eyes were dark, and she thumbed the edge of her skirt, drawing them down. “Now.” She ordered gently and his eyes flashed up to hers briefly, before he  let out a breath and closed them. Darcy lent up and kissed him briefly as a thank you, brushing her body against his.

He looked vulnerable standing there, eyes closed just letting her do what she wanted. She had never appreciated just how much power you give up every time you close your eyes until then. Loki was so handsome. She forgot sometimes, distracted by everything else about him, but now, when he wasn’t speaking or moving, his face was all she wanted to watch. He looked surprisingly young, his face unlined and free from that scowl he liked to put on. Darcy undid her skirt, the material swishing to the floor as she stepped out of it, and removed her top until she was down to the corset and underwear. The lab was warm enough that she could stand in just the stockings and corset without feeling cold. He twitched when she took off her clothes, head tilted to the side to listen closer. Darcy saw his arms pressed tight to his back, the muscles on his arms cut. She swallowed, and lifted her hand, cupping his jaw. Loki let out a barely-there hum of contentment and she smiled, dragging her nails under his chin. He leant into it and she moved forward, pressing her body into his. She nuzzled her face into his neck, her hand still on his chin.

As she started pressing kisses there she could feel his cock brush against her stomach, getting harder. She moaned lightly at the feeling, a breathy thing sound that made him shift against her. Darcy looked up to check his eyes were still closed before she slipped her hand into his hair and reached up to kiss his lips softly. It was odd that she felt she could do this, be so gentle with him, just because his eyes were closed. It made being more intimate with him feel less serious, like she wasn’t giving away her feelings, when he wasn’t watching her. Darcy carried on kissing him, pulled away when he tried to slide his tongue into her mouth. He growled in protest, rumbling where their chests were pressed against each other, and she slipped her other hand back to grip an ass cheek, pressing him into her. It was firm under her hand and Darcy wondered why she didn’t grab it all the time. She gasped as his erection ground against her and slipped her own tongue into his mouth, licking deeper. His chest rumbled again, and she could feel he wanted to push back, to back her into the wall and take control. She pulled back happily, smiled against his lips and rolled her hips into him, using her hand to keep him close to her. She moaned at the friction of his dick, too high to be of much use, but the feeling still hot enough to make her wet.

Darcy removed her hands and slid them around his waist, under his arms where they crossed behind his back. This put her flush against his body and she looked up to his still closed eyes. His body was so firm, his chest all muscle and it was incredible that someone so powerful would be doing just what she asked. She stayed there for a minute, breathing gently, her breasts rubbing against his chest and the weight of his dick on her stomach. Loki seemed to be concentrating really hard on not opening his eyes, his jaw tense as he stood there, essentially blind. Darcy wondered what it must feel like, to have someone in your arms but be completely under their control.  To have to wait for their next move. She felt a rush go through her, and leant up to bite his jaw before placing a soft kiss there. Loki shivered slightly, making a small sound of pleasure so she repeated it, brushing her lips against his neck again.

She trailed the kisses down, before turning her head and lightly placing her mouth over his throat. Loki tensed, his body rigid where she was pressed against it, and she held that pose, before licking, her tongue wet and warm on his skin. He shivered again, groaned when Darcy removed her teeth with a scrape to suck greedily on his pulse point. Darcy was amazed at how hot it was- she’d hardly touched his dick but there was a hungry pulse between her legs and she could feel how hard he was. She finished, pulling her lips off with a pop, and stared at the wet, pink skin. It was satisfying, seeing the mark there, and Darcy thought maybe she could understand the fascination Loki had with it. Even as she thought that, it started to fade, the skin returning to its normal smooth pale. Darcy sighed, removed her arms and stepped back from him.  Loki was breathing heavily, and her going seemed to throw him a bit off balance for a moment before he recovered himself, head down and arms still. She bit her lip watching him, it was almost too much having him right there to do whatever she liked with. “Kneel.” She said and it was only a second before he did, smoothly getting down onto his knees in front of her.  She looked down at him, head bowed, eyes closed on his knees in front of her. His hair was so dark in the light, his skin so pale against it. 

“Open your eyes.” She felt nervous suddenly, fought the irrational urge to cover herself before he opened his eyes. Loki let out a long breath, his eyes so bright against the rest of him as they looked her over. His eyes were that way they sometimes got when they fought – intense but in that way that made her want to simultaneously cover herself and sit on his face.  She watched his throat as he swallowed.

“You’re wearing underwear Ma’am.” He said finally, voice low.

“Do you like it?” Darcy asked quietly, sound loud in the room. Loki looked back up at her face instantly,

“Yes Ma’am.” He replied, voice full of enough sincerity and lust to make her lips part. She felt her heart beat a little faster, and she felt wetter just from the way his eyes covered her body. Sex with him- it was something else. Every moment had that amazing sort of tension, the waiting for something. Loki was all restraint, coiled power that she knew he would happily release if she just said the words.

She stepped forward,  legs slightly spread, to stand just in front of him. His eyes were still fixed on her face, unmoving, pupils wide. He had a look of such hunger, such need, it was heady. He tilted his head slightly, a question and Darcy nodded. He looked down to her, the inches that separated her panties from his face. She felt herself getting wetter, the intensity of his gaze still strong even when it wasn’t on her face. How was it, even on his knees he could still make her feel like this? Darcy reached down, threading a hand through his hair. The strands were soft against her hand and she scratched her nails against his scalp gently before moving his face towards her. He let her pull him, until she placed his cheek against the inside of one thigh, just below the line of the garter belt. He must have been able to see how wet she was, skin clinging to the silk indecently . His eyes were fixed there, face just between her legs, and why was she torturing herself when they both knew what she wanted him to do?

“Lick.” Darcy ordered, and he did, tongue coming out to brush the fabric gently. She gasped at the sensation, the build up meaning anything felt like heaven. Darcy moved him, shifted his head so he faced her pussy straight on, bought his face back to her. He licked again, tongue wide and warm, sliding across the silk deliciously. He carried on, tongue getting firmer but still not getting enough friction, the silk between them meaning it wasn’t enough.

She was about to speak, to order him to take the panties off of her when he leant in again, nose brushing her pussy before he opened his mouth wide and sucked the folds of her pussy into his mouth. She let out a surprise moan, and when his tongue found her clit, swirling on it, she tightened her hand on his hair. He sucked harder, and she looked down to see him staring at her, watching her face as he tongued her clit. Darcy gasped again, the feeling getting more intense, and she was close, hadn’t even taken off her underwear and felt like she could come. She moved his head, ground it against her pussy, desperate for more friction, needing the material to be gone but not wanting to stop the feeling.

“Fingers.” She gasped, and in a flash his hands were up, one on the back of her thigh, and the other moving the fabric of her panties away to slip into her cunt. Loki pushed a finger in, pulled back out and then added another, the feeling not a stretch but almost enough. Darcy moaned, leaning forward to grip his hair with both of her hands, overwhelmed by the feeling. “Faster.” She said, and he complied, licking faster as the fingers pushed in and out with a wet noise.

Darcy groaned in frustration when she realised it wasn’t going to be enough. That she needed his tongue bare on her before she would come. Sometimes she fucking hated underwear. She went to move him, pulled on his hair and he just didn’t budge. “Loki.” She gasped in frustration, and he sucked her lips again, his finger crooking inside her.  Her knees shook a bit, and he held on tighter to the back of her thigh. “Loki.” Darcy said, half cry/ half frustrated because it felt too good, but he needed to listen to her for once so she could come already. He sucked harder on her, tongue swirling. “Loki!” She cried again, and he still didn’t stop, just gave this dirty, possessive growl against her cunt that made her tense and shiver in the best way.

Darcy groaned, tugging on his hair hard  but still not shifting him. “I need the panties off.” She said angrily, but really only half concentrating because it was feeling really fucking great. Almost as soon as she said it she felt a rush of air, and then jumped as his tongue, his wet warm, amazing tongue, touched her now-bare pussy. She opened her moth to speak, to say anything but he was licking her clit and his fingers were crooking up into her, rubbing on just the right spot and she forgot words. All she could focus on was the feeling on his wet tongue sliding between her legs. There was this hot, tense feeling and when his tongue dipped down to lick between his own fingers and slip into her hole, it uncoiled. It was so sudden, the orgasm, it swept over her, warm and she was frozen by it, body tense even as it shook. Loki carried on, sucking on her greedily as his fingers slowed. Her knees shook and she leant forward onto him to support herself, his free hand coming up to help her. She was bent, gasping, legs shaking as she curled round him for a few minutes, her hand petting his hair.

“Bed.” She said weakly, after some time. In one move Loki stood, lifting her fire-mans style over his shoulder before walking over to the bed. He lay her down gently, Darcy squeaked when he gave her a lick again before crawling over her. She would have been annoyed but she was feeling all post-orgasmy and the most she could muster was mild annoyance. His eyes traced up her body as he moved, before he lay down on her, bare chest against hers. He wasn’t heavy, supporting himself on arms either side of her head but his body still pressed hers down into the mattress.

 “You didn’t do what I said.” Darcy said, trying to sound pissed off but the orgasm had been really fucking good.

“Sorry Ma’am.” He replied, smiling and not looking sorry at all. She said as much to him and his laugh was warm in reply, making something in her chest flutter. He leant over, lips warm against her neck before his hot breath filled her ear. “Are you going to punish me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we all hate cliff-hangers, but I was writing this chapter and it turned into a monster so I’ve split it into two, the next one should be up Thursday, or Monday depending.  
> I actually wanted Loki to be completely obedient (for once) but then I thought about how realistic that idea was and I figured, even though it makes both of them happy when he’s good, if it’s between him obeying her, and him giving her orgasms, he’s probably always gonna go with making her come.  
> As always I love comments and suggestions are always welcome ;)  
> Next time: Loki gets punished. Because he’s been bad. Very, very bad.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Much. Porn. Sorry/Not sorry. I actually meant to attempt plot again but then the porn was just going really well so I gave up, maybe next time eh?  
> I don’t know if their relationship developing counts as plot? I’m going to count it so I feel better.  
> I love the comments as always, you guys are always so supportive it’s amazing :3

* * *

 

 

“Are you going to punish me?” Loki  half-growled, the sound running along her neck. The words made her shiver and when he pulled back to look at her his face was playful, one eyebrow cocked up. His eyes though, they were all challenge, and his smile faded as he leant down to kiss her. Darcy hooked her leg under his, catching him off balance and pushed on his chest until she was on top, arms pining his above his head. It surprised him, otherwise it wouldn’t have worked and Loki hissed as she brushed his dick. He groaned when she did it again. Darcy leaned down, still rolling her hips over his erection, tugging on his lower lip with her teeth. His lips were slick with the taste of her and she released them, licking the taste off them. She ran her nose along his briefly before leaning down to his ear.

“Do you want me to?” She asked breathily, grinding down against him. Loki groaned, and she loved how hard he was. “I asked you a question.” She let removed one of her hands, slid it down between both of them to grab his balls firmly through his pants. Loki gritted his teeth, his breath coming out in a hiss. “Answer it.” He groaned when she rolled her hips against him again, rubbing her bare pussy against the fabric covering his erection.

“Yes.” He got out and she twisted her hand slightly. “Ma’am.” He choked out. She released her grip on them, and felt him groan. Darcy could only imagine the feeling of having all the blood rush back into them.

“Does it hurt?” She asked, genuinely curious. He was a god after all. The look he gave her said ‘of course it fucking hurts’. “Do you like it?” She asked, voice husky, staring intently at him. Darcy hardly recognised herself, her breath coming out hard and heavy as she lay on him. She slipped her hand into his pants, ran her nails lightly along his balls. Loki shivered, pupils blown, lips wet as he stared back at her.

“Yes Ma’am.” He finally admitted, cheeks pink. He looked so perfect, the fact that he looked so adorable contrasting with the way she knew he could actually destroy her.

“Then I’ll stop.” She said, smiling as she let go. Loki made a frustrated sound, shifted a bit underneath her and she felt his erection rub against her clit. Darcy bit her lip, rested her hands either side of his face to make him look at her. “You remember your safe word?” She asked, running her thumb along his lower lip.

“Yes Ma’am.” He replied, clearly distracted. She dipped her thumb into his mouth, the wet heat covering it for a second before she took it out.

“Tie your hands to the bed post.” She said, and Loki frowned slightly. He opened his mouth to speak and she pinched a nipple, making him yelp. “Use magic, but make sure you don’t move from this position.”

Darcy had thought a lot about this. How to punish him. At least, how to do it without him enjoying himself. The problem was, he was pretty invincible. And she, well without her taser she didn’t really have many skills against humans let alone him. Since bringing electricity into the bedroom didn’t really sound that fun, she had tried to think of other ways to actually get him to behave. That thought alone was enough to distract her, so it had been difficult to actually concentrate and come up with a solution. Darcy had thought about making him apologise, but the issue was Loki was never really sorry for anything. He just did what he wanted. She had to _make_ him sorry. Make him toe the line. Come up with some consequence that would make following her instructions the better option.

She had toyed with the idea of fucking someone else. Of coming in smelling like sex, some one elses’ come. Sitting in the lab with him, casually working while describing exactly what she had done. That would drive him crazy. He was possessive naturally, she could feel it every time they were together. If she let someone else touch her, let someone else go down on her, it would definitely piss him off. But it would probably turn him on as well, and the combination of those things, and him wanting to punish _her_ for punishing him, would probably end very badly. Actually, it would probably end really well from an orgasm point of view, but Darcy didn’t want to deal with any of the feelings it would bring up. Any of those fucking ‘what are we?’, ‘what are we doing?’ questions that would mean they’d have to _talk_. Yuck. So that idea was a no-go.

Most psychological punishments wouldn’t work because he didn’t really give a shit. He didn’t care enough about her approval, or her anger to be moved by them. That left the physical ones, which bought her back to his being a god and how she would probably injure herself more than she could hurt him. It wasn’t an easy one.

The punishment she had decided on, keeping in mind Lokis’ apparent kinks for _everything_ and her love of the face he made when he came, was edging. She would get him as close to coming as she could and stop, repeatedly. Darcy knew from personal experience that it was frustrating, not to mention slightly painful to be pulled back each time right before.  But when you finally got to come, it was better than anything else.

The ropes appeared on Lokis’ arms, green stripes that circled them where they lay above his head. They wrapped them tightly together, and his palms were facing, pointing up to the headboard they were attached to. Her thumb was still tracing his lip as she calmly explained what she was about to do.

“I’ll edge you four times.” She said. “You can come on the fifth. Use your safe word at anytime and we’ll stop and talk about it ok?”

“Yes Ma’am.” He said, and she could see the bemusement on his face. The ‘I had a week of this, I think I can handle an hour’ written loudly.

“That week wasn’t the same. That was spaced out, long term. It’s different one after another. Harder. Pun intended.” Loki rolled his eyes at that. She pinched his nipple again. “Remember to tell me to stop when you’re close.” Darcy said, and reached back to take her shoes off, throwing them to the floor. She leant up on her knees, helped him shimmy out of his pants. He groaned as she pulled them down.

“Yes Ma’am.” He said when the pants were off, and she bought her hand up to her face, licked it slowly. Lokis’ eyes went wide, focussed on her tongue peeking out from her lips. She smiled and reached back, grabbing his dick firmly in her hand.

“First one.” Darcy said, and she started stroking. His dick was warm and so hard in her hand. It slid easily, and she rubbed the liquid seeping from the tip in further. Loki groaned, the muscles in his neck tight as she ran her thumb over his head. His hips bucked when she lightly ran a nail along the slit.  “Do I need to tie your legs down as well?” She asked, but didn’t stop stroking.

“No Ma’am.” He got out, and she knew it wouldn’t take much. That him eating her out got him hot enough that he would be close quickly. Her hand slid down, squeezed the base of his dick tight for a few seconds. He swore under her, met her eyes as she let him go, moaned as the blood rushed back in. Darcy slid her hand faster, could feel her own juices sliding onto his chest. She bit her lip and briefly considered slipping her hand down to touch herself. As her left hand moved to do just that, she felt him tense under her. His breathing was heavier, and she knew the look, the feeling, the way his whole world revolved around the space between his legs.

“Ma’am.” He gasped, glassy-eyed but Darcy didn’t stop, wanted to get him as close as she could. She gave him a few more strokes, watched the strain on his face as he tried to keep the orgasm at bay before stopping. Darcy pulled her hand off, knelt above him so she didn’t accidentally brush against him. He groaned under her, turned his face to the side but she saw the frustration on it. Darcy knew the feeling intimately. The way it felt like slamming into a wall. It was like running and then being tripped off, the thing that your body expected to happen being ripped away. It was such a weird feeling. Sort-of painful but also like the opposite of coming. Like your body trying to fill the gap of all the good feeling it was expecting.

Loki was still panting and Darcy would have felt sorry for him but to be honest she was really into how wrecked he looked. His hair was all messed, and his eyes had a sort of angry-frustrated shine to them that she could really get behind. She waited a few minutes and watched his breathing get back to normal.

“Second one.” She said, and leant forward, pressing her hands on his chest. Darcy licked the seam of his mouth. “You taste like me.” Loki groaned at her words, and she slid down lower on him, her ass just in front of his dick. She wasn’t tall enough to both grind and kiss him at the same time so she gave him a final kiss, pressing him down into the mattress. She felt his arms tense above them, and she ran her hands over his nipples, making him groan into her mouth.

Darcy pulled away reluctantly, slid down until her bare pussy was pushed up against his cock. She moaned, and she looked up his body to where he was watching her. She ground down, rubbing his cock directly along her slit, the wetness of it making them slide deliciously. Loki closed his eyes, jaw tense as she rubbed against him slowly. It felt so tempting, his dick right there ready for her to slide down on. She wanted to lean back and feed it into her but this was meant to be a punishment after all. Darcy could feel him tensing under her again, knew the signs and ground down once, hard. His dick slid directly against her clit, the feeling molten heat and Darcy gasped, pressed her face into his chest to moan. She felt Lokis’ own and realised she had pinched his nipples. His face was so tense, arms tight and his eyes were closed again.

“Ma’am.” Loki said, voice tight and strained, like he needed her to stop but didn’t really want her too. She carried on again and he moaned. “Please.” He said, and him begging was never not hot. She bit his stomach gently, saw his eyes start to glaze and wrenched herself off of him. She saw him tense, worried that she had been too late but when he didn’t come, when the noise he made was pure frustration, she knew she had stopped in time. Darcy herself was breathing hard, the ache between her legs persistent. She rolled on her side, faced Loki without touching him. Watched his breathing even out again.

“How are you feeling?” She asked quietly. He turned his head to look at her, and she noticed his cheeks were flushed, jaw still tense. She saw the fight on his face, the urge to say something sarcastic back. Darcy smiled when he answered honestly.

“It... hurts Ma’am.” He admitted.

“And not in a good way?” Loki laughed at that, the sound rich and gravelly. Darcy smiled.

“No, not in a good way. Ma’am.” He smiled at her, so fond and open it made part of her panic. She coughed and looked away, gathered herself before rolling back up.

“Number three.” Darcy said and Loki tensed again, groaned angrily, blowing air out of his nose. His dick was looking pretty swollen now. “If you come, we start again. From the beginning.” She said, turning back to him and Loki nodded at her seriously.  Darcy nodded back, straddled him again and slid straight down onto him. The feeling released a moan from her, the noise pouring from her open mouth as he filled up the space inside her. She heard Loki let out a long breath, wondered if he would be able to tell her this time.

They stayed like that for a minute, and then Darcy lifted herself, sliding to the top of his dick before slipping back down. They both moaned, and she saw Lokis hands tighten on the ropes. She lifted again, leant forward to drive herself down at the right angle. Her breath caught as she found the spot that made her breathing heavy and she started riding him fiercely, chasing the feeling. Loki groaned, grit his teeth.

“Ma’am.” He said, his voice a warning, and Darcy carried on.

“A bit longer.” She said, the flicker between her legs getting bigger, her clit burning . She felt her pussy clench and he bucked up under her.

“Ma’am.” He said again, almost desperate this time. She felt his body tense, saw his hands clench and knew she had to stop.

“Fuck.” She said angrily, pulling herself off of him, throwing herself onto his chest. Her hands found her pussy, one rubbing against her clit as she buried her face in his neck. She rubbed it harder, slipping two fingers in to fill the void he left. Darcy gasped, chasing the feeling. Darcy came, her mouth biting down on his collar bone to hide her moan. Loki was still tense under her and she felt him groan even as she came. The orgasm ended, her hands stuttering between her legs and she collapsed on him gracelessly. She let herself lay there for a minute, catching her breath. Darcy felt so relaxed, but knew she still had work to do.

She sighed, pushing herself up to look back at his dick. “Did you come?” She asked, and Loki shook his head. He was still panting, frustrated and looking generally uncomfortable under her. She raised her hands to her mouth, licked the taste of herself off of them. He made an angry noise, screwed his eyes against the sight.

“You’re not making this any easier Ma’am.” His voice was tense and Darcy smiled down at him.

“I know right, It’s almost like this is a _punishment_.” She replied sarcastically. He glared at her. Darcy laughed, making her boobs jiggle, which he stared at.

“Last one.” She said, heat pooling in her again somehow.

“I need more time.” He said, and seeing her raised eyebrow at the word carried on. “Ma’am.”

“Tough. Use your safeword if it’s that bad.” Her answer was met with what was probably a curse word in another language. Darcy rolled her eyes and rolled over, facing his dick. She was laying on the bed, her head propped on her hands as she eyed his dick. It was slick from where she had ridden him, and she could smell both of them. Darcy moved closer, blew air onto him and he tensed.

“Ma’am.” Loki said, strained and Darcy tutted.

“Come on now, we both know you can do better than that.” She leant forward, placing her hands gently on his thighs. They were hard muscle under her hands, and she scraped her nails there. Loki moaned, doing a good job of not bucking and Darcy hummed in approval. “Just relax Loki. I’ll stop you when your close. Just enjoy it.” She leant forward, licked a strip up him. He swore again and Darcy smiled.

She opened her mouth and covered his head completely. He moaned, and she shifted her body round so she could watch his face. She sucked firmly on the tip, watched his eyes scrunch up. She swirled her tongue, sucked the taste of herself off of him and then pulled off, eliciting a moan from him.

“Why am I doing this?” She asked, and aloowed him a minute to get him words together. When he still didn’t answer she grabbed his balls roughly again.

“I didn’t listen to you. Ma’am.” He groaned, voice almost panicky.

“What have you learnt?” She asked.

“To listen Ma’am.” He replied, and she gave his balls a final tug before kissing his cockhead. He groaned, eyes still closed and chest panting.She had never seen him like this, so open and unashamed of giving in. It was like all of his ego, the face he put on was completely gone. It was just him and her, and the feelings they could give each other. It gave her nervous tingles. Maybe if she hadn’t had his dick in her mouth she would have thought a bit more about what it meant for them.

She slid her mouth down the shaft, taking him all the way in but still watching his body. Darcy could see him, knew the feeling well. That floaty feeling of  surrendering to someone else, to their manipulation of your body. The way all that mattered was what they were doing to you. It was a heady thing to have that power over him. Darcys’ mouth kept on working, and she sucked on him harder, watching his body for signs he was close. She scraped her fingernails along his balls and then watched as Loki tensed, his mouth falling open in what was definitely his pre-orgasm face.

She pulled off rapidly, stopped touching him and watched as it hit him. The wave of denial. He let out this angry, primal growl that made her freeze. It was unlike any sound she’d heard him make before and the sound of her heart beating felt too loud. His body was still coiled tight, arms so tense she couldn’t look away. He took some breaths, long slow ones and she watched his chest. Both of them seemed to relax, the sound he made filed away for later in her head. He finally opened his eyes, after taking some more breaths and he looked at her. His face was surprisingly wrecked despite the noise he had just made, and he looked at her intensely.

“Is it over Ma’am?” He asked, and she knew that if she said no, told him he had to do it again he would.

“It’s over.” She confirmed, and the relief on his face was palpable. He let out a shaky breath, shifted a bit on the bed then grimaced when it jostled his still-hard dick. Loki looked at her suddenly, remembering what she had said at the start.

“Please.” He said, voice raw. Darcy waited. “Please, let me come.” And wasn’t that just the sweetest sound. Darcy moved, positioned herself so she could straddle him. She slid down onto his dick, bottoming out in one go and started to swirl her hips over him. Darcy scratched her nails along his skin, starting a pace on him that had her gasping. Loki was tense already, and she rode him harder, grabbing his jaw in her hand.

“Come.” She ordered and watched his eyes screw shut. He went still under her, and she slammed down onto him, the sweet drag of his dick in her. He came then, and she felt him twitch in her, making her pussy clench as he came in hard spurts. Darcy gasped, carried on, milking him for all he had. She fell forward as he went soft in her, pulling off of him with a groan from both of them. She kissed his chest, placing kisses up it before looking up at him.

“You did so well.” She said, peppering his face with kisses. “So well.” He was still slack-jawed underneath her and she smiled. Darcy started untying his arms, working the knots.

“That was.....” Loki said, his voice sounding far-away and sleepy.

“Yeah.” Darcy agreed with a smile, finally finishing with the ropes. She dropped them and he groaned, stretched his arms up. She watched the muscles, a happy feeling in her belly and he sleepily looked up at her. Loki had this look on his face, all content and post-orgasmy. He reached up, stroking the side of her face in a surprisingly gentle move, before bringing her down for a kiss.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Darcy had left the lab happy, satisfied and a bit wobbly in the knees. She had gone home with the intention of cooking something vaguely healthy, but ended up eating some frozen pizza and falling asleep in front of the latest show she was binge-watching. Darcy dreamt that night.

  _She was laying in her living room, facing the TV. Darcy had this loose-limbed feeling of relaxation and that sort of fuzzy-brain happiness that can only come with drugs, drink, orgasms or in dreams. She sighed happily, and shifted her weight, turning her head to look at the man she was laying on. Loki was under her, his front to her back and she was pretty much using him like a comfy mattress. She was pulled up on his body so they were nearly face to face when she turned her head. Darcy looked at him now, stretched her hand up to slide through his hair. Loki looked down to her, letting out a contented hum that she felt rumble through both of them. His eyes were closed and he leant forward to press a messy kiss to her forehead. They stayed like that for a minute, his face against hers and Darcy felt her own eyes close, the feeling of being safe, and loved so intoxicating she couldn’t help but sink into it._

_Her hand was still stroking his hair softly, and she felt him shift under her. Loki started pressing kisses against her cheek, and his hand came up to turn her lips to his. He kissed her gently, closed mouth kisses that slowly got firmer. When his tongue came out to lick at her bottom lip her Darcy heard herself squeak, her hand tightening in his hair. They carried on, the kisses getting hotter, and she felt his hand lace through hers, remove it from his hair to place at her side. His right arm came up, banding across her waist, trapping her arms there. Darcy opened her eyes in surprise, tried to move but his arm was solid. He growled, the same sound he had made earlier. It was so feral, so hungry her breath caught in fear. His green eyes were dark in the light, and the shine from the muted TV flickered across half his face. Her heart was pounding, the fear she felt at being restrained fading into a sort of excited tingling under her skin._

_Loki was patiently waiting for her to stop struggling. Darcy took a breath, forced herself to relax in his arms and she watched him smile. It was so golden, so bright as he looked at her, her heart filling when he kissed her again. They were soft kisses, warm, slow and wet and she felt his other hand let go of hers, slide along her stomach. She turned her head to watch but he nipped her on the neck gently._

_“Look at me.” He ordered, and Darcy did. She watched his face as his hand slipped lower, tracing the soft curve of her stomach. She watched his face as his finger traced the hemline of her panties, her heart beating faster even as the iron of his arms kept her down. She watched Lokis’ face as his fingers finally slid under. She gasped at the first touch, his eyes slipping down to watch her mouth as it opened wantonly. The fingers went lower, and she felt Loki shift under her. His legs drew up, coming in between hers, spreading her own legs wide. Darcy felt his erection under her, rubbing into her ass pleasantly. She wanted to shift against it, tried to but he was holding her so still. Darcy groaned, his fingers running too lightly over her. The frustration must have been clear on her face because he smiled at her, brushed his thumb against her clit. She spasmed against him, closed her eyes and tried not to beg for more._

_He growled and Darcys’ eyes shot open, remembered she wasn’t allowed to look away. They traced the lips of her pussy, dragging gently through the folds before circling slowly around the entrance. He repeated this, teasing her and all she could do was wait. Her orgasm was building, heat running through her body as he touched her. It was so close but she just needed more._

_“Please.” She said finally, shocked at the wrecked sound. Darcy was breathing hard, and when his fingers finally slipped into her gasp was a choked sound. She felt too full, so exposed with his face so close and watching hers. The fingers slid in again, all the way and crooked, providing sweet friction just where she wanted it. Darcy moaned, clenched around his fingers and they moved faster. His thumb was at just the right angle to stroke her clit, the pressure just firm enough to build with every pump of his fingers._

_He was being so gentle with her, so careful despite his strength. Even then, with the threat of what he could do very obvious, being banded by his arm, she felt safe. It was such a contrast between what she knew he could do and how he was with her._

_“You killed people.” Darcy said breathily, the realisation coming to her suddenly. Loki didn’t stop, didn’t slow, his hand still moving between her legs. If anything he fingers were firmer. Darcy moaned and watched his lips as he answered her._

_“Are you reminding me or you?” He asked, and she didn’t have an answer for that. There was a flick against her clit, a twist in his fingers and she was right there. “Now.” Darcy came, the feeling overwhelming her as she was held down by him. His eyes pinned her, the intensity in them not letting up as he watched her, rocked by what he had done._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me how I did on Darcy punishing him, if you have any suggestions/ if it doesn’t seem right tell me, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t get away with it ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> Next Time: Not sure, maybe Fem Loki again? Darcys’ still in charge, but the tides starting to turn. Also plot? If you squint a bit.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…….. I’m back :D I think this is ok? I stopped writing cause I got a job in another country and was busy with work, so when I came back to this I was like - and how the fuck was I gonna continue? :’D It took me long enough I know. I have some sort of plot in mind, but it turns out that sort of thing should be planned when you start a story, not crammed in halfway through. Welp.

* * *

 

 

 

“What is wrong with you?” Loki demanded, and Darcy bristled. She’d been in the lab an hour already, and was struggling with life to say the least. All because of that fucking dream. The one where she had been trapped by him, controlled by him, and it had felt so good and so right she hadn’t wanted to wake up. Not to mention all of the feelings that had been thrown in right after. Sex she could handle. _Feelings_ she could not. She had the weekend, used it to shop and generally try and get herself back together, all the while the dream stewed in her head. Darcy had hoped, that by Monday, she would have recovered. That the dream had been a sexy blip on her otherwise flawless reign of making Loki her bitch. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Topping completely dropped off her radar, and all she could think about was getting on her knees for him. Overtime she thought about seeing him, there was this hunger in her, this need to let him take her however he wanted and she hated it. It was like all of the time spent topping him meant nothing. This wasn’t new for Darcy, she had had these waves before. Her being a switch, like being bi, seemed to run in two different phases. For whatever reason, she really did have one side more dominant at a time. It never completely squashed the other, but she definitely had a preference. And right then, all Darcy wanted was Loki. Loki with his firm voice and strong arms, and total control. She just didn’t want it to happen like this. She liked being on top, felt comfortable being the one in charge. But she knew he would take one look at her and just _know_. She was feeling weak, and pliant and she wasn’t a good enough actress to hide it for long.

So the night before, Darcy coped the way millions of people did the world over - by getting wasted. Alone. In her apartment. Until two o clock in the morning. It was not her finest moment. All she had had in the apartment was cooking sherry. As in, the drink that was only suitable for consumption once cooked, not out of the bottle at one am while watching old supernatural episodes. At least screaming at the TV for Dean and Castiel to get it together distracted her enough to drunkenly pass out. Darcy was mainly thankful she forgot about the ball pit in her other apartment. Drunk Darcy _loved_ ball pits, but Tony Stark did not need footage of how much she loved them.

The hangover was thankfully not that bad, although she had slept through her first three alarms and decided to do an afternoon shift instead. Even now, at two in the afternoon, the headache had sort of faded and she was settling into stage two of the patented Darcy Lewis hangover - righteous bitchiness.

“I asked you a question.” Loki said and she curled further over desk, setting her coffee cup to one side to lay her head down. Her hair flapped against her face as she let out a long breath.

“That I am ignoring.” She replied, eyes closed as she willed him to stop talking. The dream had made her feel fragile. Like her whole way of looking at the two of them had gotten fuzzy. She needed him to leave her alone. The way he was, Darcy felt like he would look at her and _know._

“I don’t think you comprehend how a question works.” Loki said, sounding more pissed off by the second, which of course made Darcy smile.

“I don’t think you ‘comprehend’ how free will works.” She barely resisted flipping him the bird.

“Free will always seemed like an overrated concept to me.You are disagreeable this morning. It’s distracting me.” He replied and she looked up and raised her finger, giving in to temptation. 

“You’ve never complained before.” She grumbled. He ignored her finger and Darcy reminded herself to ask Thor for the Asgardian equivalent.

“Yes, I have.” Loki replied, and well ok, he had.

“Well not for long.” 

“Well it normally leads to enjoyable pursuits. At the moment all this seems to be leading to is you dropping another coffee cup on the floor.” He pointed to the cup by her elbow which was teetering on the edge of her desk. Darcy glared at him, grabbing it and sitting up.

“ _Me_ dropping _another_ coffee cup on the floor?” Darcy asked, her voice ice cold. A smile broke onto his face, and she remembered how twisted their relationship was that they _enjoyed_ pissing each other off.

“It made such a mess last time.” He said, smirking. Darcy resisted the urge to throw the cup at his face. Just.“So tell me, what is wrong with you?” 

“It’s none of your business.” She said, teeth on edge and patience very low, her anger burning away the remaining hangover. He was watching her carefully. In that way he always did that made her feel like he could see right inside her head. It was normally hot. The intensity, the attention of him. Now it was making her angry. And defensive. Ok, and a little bit horny. Which just made her angry again. The carried on staring at each other.

“Try again.” He said finally.

“Fuck!” She shouted, and Loki raised an eyebrow in surprise at her outburst. “You don’t have to be such a control freak you know.” She said, feeling herself flush a little as she remembered just how much of a control freak he really was. Darcy pushed back from her desk and stood up, wanting to get away from him. Hungover Darcy could not deal with this much intense Asgardian.

“And you don’t have to act like a petulant child,  but we all have our parts to play.” Darcy opened her mouth to argue, but he carried on. “Something has upset you. And I want to know what.” 

“I’m not telling you. So back the fuck off.” She was standing closer now, glaring up into his bright green eyes. He glared back, and she could feel her heart pounding, tension low in her body. But instead of telling her to make him shut up, it was tell her to provoke him. To feed that part of him that needed to dominate her. Darcy felt her stomach clench, her hands fisted at her side.

“You drank last night. A rather large amount if the way you’re moving your head is any indication. Something distressed you.” He said this last part with a small crease between his brows. A sort of frown that he probably didn’t even know he was doing. Like he was _concerned_.

“Ugh.” She said aloud, looking away, feeling a wave of _something_ for him.  The way he looked like he cared was freaking her out. Anger she could deal with, everything else just made things blurry. “Stop. You don’t have to know everything about everyone all of the time.”

“Yes, I do. And normally you are the easiest to know.”

“Fuck you.” Darcy said, turning and grabbing her bag with shaking hands. His sharp green eyes watched her movements.

“Where are you going?” Loki asked, anger running through his voice in a way that made her mouth a little dry.

“Home.” The _duh_ was implied.

“No.” He said, in a voice firm enough that it actually stopped her. His jaw was firm and Darcy found herself frozen, watching him stare at her. “You are not running away again. You are tired of my questions? Well I am tired of you fleeing every time you feel out of control. Not all of us have that privilege. You are undisciplined Miss Lewis and that can be easily rectified. In the mean time, you will answer my questions.” Loki finished, his voice so hard and his words so immovable she felt the power of them down to her toes. Her hands gripped her bag tighter as she looked down, closing her eyes against the words. It was strange, it wasn’t like he hadn’t spoken to her like that before. With words that wanted to tie her down and demand submission. The difference was, now the dream had cracked that part of her open, the bit that she had carefully closed and smothered with masking tape. It left her standing there, feeling very vulnerable as she tried to pull herself back together. When she finally looked up at him, Darcy understood she hadn’t done it quick enough. 

“Ah.” He said quietly, voice low as his eyes darkened in understanding. “You submit.” It wasn’t even a question to him.

“Fuck you.” Darcy said again, her voice shaky, and she realised this was her own feeble attempt to get back some sort of control.

“Ask Miss Lewis, and I will be more than happy to.” He said, voice laced with filthy things. A pang of arousal rolled through her as she flushed again.

“Thats not what I-“ She said but he cut her off, moving forward. Darcy moved back instinctively, felt herself bump back against the table, her heart hammering. His whole posture had changed. Before, Loki had been angry, demanding and frustrated, irritated by their argument. Now he seemed so focused, so absolutely predatory that her body was responding in kind. Darcy had lost her words, all of her wit and fight was gone with the breath that left her lungs in short, nervous bursts. Something like fear was skittering along her spine, palms tingling, as heat built between her legs.

“I warn you. I won’t be gentle, and I won’t be kind. But I won’t hurt you.”  He said, face serious as he stared intently in her eyes. “At least, not more than you desire.” The words sent a shiver through Darcys’ body and she felt her lips part. The way he was making her feel must have been written all over her face. He was impossible to look away from, so concentrated on her it felt like her whole view was filled with the way he stalked towards her. “But first. Why did you drink last night?” He demanded, his tone so strong she answered before thinking about it.

“I had a dream.” The words came out in an inelegant bumble, and she would have blamed it on the hangover, but they both knew better.

“About?” He asked, and she looked away from him. “Me?” He guessed correctly, and she felt herself flush. Loki took her silence as agreement. “What happened?”

“We, um, we…. fucked.” Darcy had to look away from him, feeling much too like a kid in the principals office for her liking. 

“And that drove you to drink?” He asked, eyebrow raised, voice laced with amusement, his mouth twitching in an contained smile. She felt her eyes get caught on his lips for a second before she dragged them away. Darcy didn’t reply, and Loki seemed to realise she wasn’t going to. He asked another question. “I was in control?”

“Yes.” Her voice was slightly breathy, even on that one syllable.

“You want that.” His voice was edged with lust, the sound a growl from his chest, so certain in her answer already. Dampness built between her legs.  “That doesn’t explain why you drank.” He said finally.

“I was scared.” She mumbled, and watched him freeze, his face going carefully blank.

“Of me?” He asked, jaw tightening. “You think I would hurt you.” He said quietly, and it broke her heart a little at the disappointment in his voice.

“No!” She said quickly, her voice a bit of a shout, Loki seemed to relax at that, his lip twitching in amusement at the volume. “Well, I mean yes but, you know, not umm…” Darcy clamped her mouth shut, eyes cast down as she willed herself not to die from embarrassment. Loki cocked an eyebrow at her and she huffed out a breath. “Not more than I want you to.” She said finally, unable to meet his eyes, paraphrasing his earlier words.

“You trust me?”

“Yes.” She whispered truthfully. She trusted him to stop if she wanted to, to listen to her, to make sure she was ok with whatever they were doing. In every way that mattered except for with her heart. 

“Do you submit?” He asked, and Darcy felt like this was happening so quickly. Yes she had had weeks and weeks of them fucking. Of him making it clear that he would get her on her knees at some point. But she hadn’t actually thought about it, come to terms with it, the dream had blindsided her, and now here she was getting blindsided again. It wasn’t just him she was scared off (although she was) it was how he would make her feel. That she might not be able to control whatever emotional shit lay between them if she gave him everything else.

“It’s the middle of work.” She said lamely, an urgent need to put off whatever was coming. 

“And?” 

“We wait until after work.” Darcy replied although the way he was looking at her, all heat and hunger, even she knew her argument was weak.

“Those were your rules. Not mine.” She wanted to ask what his were exactly but she was finding it a little difficult to get her words out. The air was so thick, the tension between them filling the space around her and Darcy couldn’t decide if she wanted to run or give in. It was so overwhelming, she had never experienced anything like it before. Every instinct with Loki had always been fight. To push him, to provoke him into ….. something. This? She wasn’t really sure. But now, she didn’t have words to argue back. She felt so completely trapped by him, and it was everything she wanted but there was still a part of her fighting against it. Loki seemed to sense it, her resistance. “Submit”

“Make me.” Darcy said, ashamed at the way her voice edged too close to begging.

“No, darling. I will not.” Loki replied and she wasn’t sure what threw her more, the nickname or the soft way he had spoken it. “As I’m sure you know, submission is so much sweeter when it’s given. So give in.” 

“I can’t.” Darcy said, and her body screamed in frustration. Lokis’ face hardly changed, just a small crease appearing between his brows.

“Why?” Voice firm as he studied her face. And wasn’t that just the question. The problem was, Darcy didn’t really know why not. She had subbed before, with other people in other ways, but this felt so…. different. To Darcy, it was as if sharing this part of herself with him would change her. It was terrifying. She trusted him sure, but she didn’t know if she trusted herself enough to come out of whatever they were doing unscathed. 

“I can’t.” She said again, and looked up at his green eyes, trying to explain where her words couldn’t. Loki searched her face, watching it before finally nodding once, minutely. 

“As you wish.” He said firmly, nodding once and walking away from her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

That was it. All of that build up, just for him to stop, give her space and time to sort her head out. Which was exactly what she asked for. So Darcy didn’t fully understand why she was angry about it. It had been three days since he had done what she wanted. Three days of him looking at her with about as much interest as a lamp.

In those three days, she had more work than the whole time she had been working with him. Secret Agentman had sent down a bunch of data for them to analyse from an energy spike in northern Sweden. This meant Darcy had a stack of documents to collate, with all sorts of readings from the site that she had to get into a mess Loki would be bothered to read. To begin with she was pleased. She hoped it would distract her from all the thinking she inevitably had to do. It was taking long days, and her eyes hurt from having to look at numbers all the time (Loki had a personal vendetta against computers), so she was tense, to say the least.

The issue was, her favourite way to relax came in the shape of a lanky asgardian who was refusing to sleep with her. After she had gotten over her shock of him just accepting what she said, and leaving her alone (respectful fuckwit) Darcy had pulled herself together and set to seduce him after work. Which had bombed spectacularly. She had walked up to him, pulled out her most authoritative voice and said:

“Loki, I want you to fuck me against this desk until I come.”

Loki turned and blinked at her, once, slowly like a cat. Darcy had leant over to him, dropping her boobs into his eyeline, and gone in for a kiss. He had actually moved away from her, like a child dodging vegetables. Darcy had frozen for a second, mouth open, because who the fuck turned down sex? He just raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘really?’.

“See you tomorrow Darcy.” Loki had said in that sexy british voice of his, and she finally got her act together enough to walk away numbly. It annoyed her, Darcy realised, that all of her hard work had been completely undone by her confession. That by showing him a tiny bit of weakness, it had crushed all of her time topping him. He had the upper hand, and she hated how hot it made her.

On the third day she stripped. He was working at his desk, drawing bunches of graphs about something or another so she hopped up on the table, in her underwear, and lay back on it. Darcy aimed for a sexy pose, but was hoping the black lace and suspender belt would do most of the work for her. The same outfit he had so enthusiastically fucked her in last week. Loki simply stared at her tits for a half a minute, and blankly reached under her for his work. Darcy jumped a little as he tilted onto her side easily, before placing her back down again, graph in hand. Loki picked up his pencil and started adding data points. Darcy was starting to feel a bit hysterical.

“This isn’t right.” She said,irritated, her own boobs right in her face as she leant up on her arms. Loki looked up at her.

“I quite agree, submit and this will be done.”  His eyes bore into hers for a second, full of interest and intensity. Darcy swallowed at his sudden change of mood and considered his words. She shook her head regretfully. Disappointment, lust and frustration flashed on his face before he looked back to his work again, a careful mask back on.

“Why can’t we go back to how it was before?” Darcy asked, annoyed at the whine in her voice. Loki didn’t even say anything, just raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “The sex was good!”

“It was, fantastic.” He agreed blandly, filling in another data set.

“Then why not?” She was definitely whining now.

“Darcy.” He said, looking down at her fully. “I want you on your knees, mouth open willing to do whatever I ask. That is all. Until that happens, I do not see the need for us to continue with the little game we were playing.” Her mouth went dry at the image, and she clenched her legs slightly. Which of course, Loki saw. He opened his mouth to say something, gaze lingering her panties between her thighs. She felt her heartbeat thrumming faster.

“Go home Darcy.” Loki said finally, in a voice that broke no argument. Darcy went.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy had’t quite realised just how much stress relief them fucking had provided. She wanted it so badly, dreamt about giving in to him every night. But every time she considered it, something stopped her. The weekend came and went, Darcy not quite sure if time away from Loki was a blessing or a curse. By Monday, she was frustrated again, her own hand not doing the job she knew Loki would do expertly. The job that he refused to do unless she gave in.

“You’re writing is messy.” Darcy accused, glaring at Loki across the room. She was bored of him ignoring her. They hadn’t had an argument all week, and she was wondering what she missed more, the sex or the fighting.

“It’s Nornish, that is the way it is supposed to look.” Loki replied, lips curled into a half smile. Darcy tried another tactic.

“You need to clean up the mug.” She pointed to the mug he crushed, its remains covered in dust. Last week she had made a small grave marking out of tea bags and placed it at one end of the carcass. Loki hadn’t even commented.

“The one you dropped? Not likely.” He replied, still smirking, and this whole thing was having the opposite effect to the one she wanted. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she wanted some other reaction from him than dry wit. Darcy pulled out the big guns.

“Your hair looks stupid long.” That got his attention. Looking up from his work Loki met her eyes, raised eyebrow and dark look in them. Not in a ‘you cut me to the core, and now I’m going to have to fuck you on this desk’ sort of way in a ‘you can do better’. Darcy shifted a bit in her seat. Loki let out a breath through his nose.

“Darcy, I know it looks like I’m just doing human level work, but I am actually quite occupied.” He said this blandly, and she searched his face for some sort of crack, some sort of irritation so she could try and exploit it. He stared calmly back. Scowling, Darcy spoke.

“Why aren’t you arguing with me?” She demanded, arms crossed in annoyance.

“Why would you want me to?” Loki replied, and Darcy scrabbled for a response.

“I’m ….. bored.” She said finally, he turned to her, face innocent concern.

“Should I call for more papers?” He asked, and then smirked and she wanted to kiss the smug look off of his face. Frustrated, Darcy turned to return to her work when he spoke. “If you were trying to get me to loose my composure by instigating an argument, it was a poorly thought out and executed attempt.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Perhaps you hoped that by making me infuriated enough, I would give over the pretence of you having a choice, and take you where you stand. Thereby, eliminating the need for you to submit to me, an idea you seem to be struggling with.” He looked at her pointedly, and she let out a huff of frustration. He read her so easily it was concerning. “Perhaps if you dealt with the reason you feel unable to submit, we could spend our time having the best sex of your life, instead of talking about that cup you dropped on the floor.”

“You dropped the cup.” She said instinctively.

“Not the point of my statement Darcy.” Loki replied. Darcy rolled her eyes and stood up from her desk.

“Fine! I’m taking a half day.” 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Darcy was sitting on her couch, hand on the glass something that was thankfully not cooking sherry in her hand. She watched the clock, the fancy Stark one projected on her wall, until the hand went past twelve. She drank, long and deep, the alcohol soothing her nervous body.  She shifted her cushions around, ate a handful of cheetos (bad combination) and tried to smooth out the creases in there dress. Finally after a few minutes of shuffling, Darcy let herself think.

She was scared, maybe more scared than she had ever been. This wasn’t a destroyer, or the Dark elves, but it felt like it could destroy her just as easily. It was stupid, Darcy liked sex, loved it when it was good, and now she had this fear of it. Why? Because of some stupid feelings? She was Darcy fucking Lewis. She had to make a decision. Either she gave in, or she quit. She couldn’t work with him like this, every move he made a distraction, and she knew for all of his talk, his patience in waiting for her would not last forever. He might not just take her, but he would definitely get more bratty. And she could only just work with him when they both had sex to take the edge off. Fucking was good for both of them it seemed. The money was great, and Darcy liked the more challenging aspects to the job. And of course, if she quit, she would never see Loki again. That thought sort of blanked her mind for a second, Darcy took a long swig of her drink. _And?_ She asked herself, _Why would that matter?_ She tried to ignore the way her heart was beating faster at the thought, her stomach turning in a sad uncomfortable way. 

She would never say they were friends, but when he wasn’t being a ass, he was funny. Hell, even when he was being an ass he was funny. She would miss that. Maybe that was a sign she definitely shouldn’t give in, that she wanted to spend time with him. Like she liked him or something. Yuck _feelings_. She thought. Darcy pushed away the need to protect herself, and analyse exactly what she was giving up by subbing with him. She could do that later, it was sort of irrelevant right now, no matter what Loki said. She narrowed it down to one decision. 

She didn’t want to quit her job, so she would submit. She would get over whatever hang up she had, and give herself over to him to do exactly what he wanted. Simple. No fuss. So why did she feel like she was going to throw up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know cliffhangers suck, but the thing was so massive that I just figured the next one will be all porn and then everyones happy. Maybe. Probably not.  
> I always figured, with Darcy, her wanting to top him ran in two trains of thought - she enjoyed pissing him off (by making sure he wasn’t in control), but also as a sort of self preservation. It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking you can deal with a feelings when you’re the one calling the shots in bed. For her, it’s a way to keep herself at a distance, she feels like she doesn’t have to get as emotionally involved. Of course, topping is still about trust, but it at least makes her feel less vulnerable.  
> And yeah, I totally had a princess bride moment and wanted Loki to be admitting his love to her but not really.  
> Next Week: All the topping


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the welcome back! Finally the Loki domming like we’ve all been waiting for. I hope he lives up to expectations, it was pretty steamy to write so fingers crossed it’s not too bad to read :D  
> Needless to say - this chapter is all porn. So much porn I had to cut it in two because it was getting out of hand. The next chapter is basically all of the plotty cutesy stuff that this chapter can’t be because dicks etc. You’re welcome.

* * *

 

 

 

“Fine.” Darcy said, walking up to Loki the next day. Her hand was gripping the strap of her bag tightly, bright nails against the leather strap. She was willing her heart beat to slow, the sound of it loud in her head. He was at the board, hands moving in smooth arcs, letters from some other time being written. He didn’t turn and Darcy let out a breath of frustration, shifting her feet. “I submit.” She said again, annoyance just about covering the nerves in her voice. Loki didn’t turn, the soft sound of chalk scratching as he worked. Because of course he used chalk. If he wasn’t a legitimate alien Darcy would have called him a hipster. 

“Very well.” He said eventually, stopping to look over the whatever the fuck it was he had drawn. He must have seen something other than the impressionist dick and balls that Darcy did because he frowned, rubbed out a part with the side of his hand, and redrew. He still wasn’t looking at her. Darcy felt irritation bubbling up because, this was a big fucking deal for her, submitting like this, and he was just acting as if she’d told him she was thinking of adding pink streaks to her hair. Only with less side eye. Darcy coughed, loudly, scaring herself and making Loki turn to her in bemusement. 

“So, are we gonna…. do this?” Darcy asked awkwardly and _wow such good, much seduction_. The look on Lokis’ face said he was just as impressed with her. “I mean, where would you like me?” She tried again, even adding in a belated half smile, and fuck she definitely used to have more game than this. That at least made him raise an eyebrow and speak.

“It’s the middle of your work day.” He pointed out.

“Those were my rules.” She reminded him, anxious at the thought that it could be delayed.

“Why break tradition?” He asked with a slow smile, his green eyes filled with mischief. Darcy wasn’t stupid, she knew that he was fucking with her. That his hatred of this rule was exactly why he was using it with her. It didn’t stop the way she got annoyed anyway. She had been nervous ever since she decided to give in to him, the need to get it over with at the forefront of her mind. She knew she wanted it, could hardly think about anything else all night.  It was just she was scared, it was quite something to put yourself at someone else mercy. And here was Loki, ignoring her obvious need to get started. It was really fucking her off.

“Fine, I unsubmit.” She said, glaring at him. His lip twitched, a full smile threatening.

“‘Unsubmit?’” He asked disbelievingly, trying out the word as if it was foreign or made up. Which it probably was. 

“Yep, that was your chance, and frankly I thought you’d be jumping at it, but whatever. None of this-“ She did a general wave at her bodacious body. “for you.” Darcy glared at him with all the attitude she could muster. And he was just smiling at her like she was some cute child having a tantrum. “I’m serious.” 

“I’m sure.” Loki replied, and he didn’t even try to pretend he believed her. The look on his face could only be described as _fond_ , and maybe if she wasn’t so annoyed with him that might have worried her. As it was, Darcy only huffed, rolled her eyes and walked back to her desk. Darcy was a mature, reasonable adult, she could accept his decision to not fuck her right then. Except he was just doing it to piss her off, so really her anger was pretty well deserved. Darcy settled on ignoring him for the rest of the day. Which might have worked, if not for the dull ache in between her thighs and the way he seemed to be smirking whenever they made eye contact. 

The hours passed, and her annoyance at him only grew, even if she got the irony of the situation. She decided against staying after work, mainly to spite him, because she would get almost as much satisfaction from that as having actual sex with him (ok not really).  Eventually she was done with the report she was writing, and Darcy decided to leave before he got any ideas about her staying. Removing her headphones, Darcy started packing her things away, irritated at the way the day had gone. Loki looked up from his desk at the noise, and she felt his eyes on her as she packed up. She heard his chair scrape back, and the soft noise of him walking over to her. He watched her pack, and she had just pulled on her cardigan when he spoke.

“You have ten second to get into my bedroom, twenty if you’re on all fours.” Loki said, and Darcy wasted a second from shock. As if he could deny her all day and then demand this.

“Fuck you.” She said slowly, dragging out the words.

“Six seconds, I will carry you if you can’t manage.” Loki said, and she could see from his face he was deadly serious. Darcy picked up her bag and took a step towards the exit.

“Fuck y-“ Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she was suddenly in a firemans carry, face down, bag dropped on the floor. She let out an indignant squeak, and barely had time to register what was going on before she was unceremoniously dropped in his bedroom. Somehow, during the journey he had managed to take her skirt off, meaning she was standing there in just her knickers and top. Just about staying on her feet, Darcy turned to give him a piece of her mind when he spoke.

“Now open your mouth and get on your knees.” His said, tone firm. Her jaw dropped. “Good, you’re halfway there already. Get on your knees.” Darcy glared at him, clamping her mouth shut as she crossed her arms. She steadfastly ignored the way she _wanted_ to do what he asked. That wasn’t really the point. She opened her mouth to tell exactly why she wasn’t going to do it. Loki must have seen this coming, he rolled his eyes and spoke first.

“Darling,” He said, and nickname threw her, made her lose the words on the end of her tongue. “Lets pretend for a moment that I can’t read you like a book, and that you haven’t been wet all afternoon. You want this, I want this. We can play this game, where we both pretend this isn't exactly what we want, but that will waste time that I would much rather spend fucking you. It’s your choice. If you truly have decided to ‘unsubmit’ then certainly, leave this room now and we will continue tomorrow as if this never happened.” There it was, her decision laid out so simply between them. And Darcy knew he was right, but she had wanted to fight against him, to try and keep some sort of idea of control, but he had washed that away.

“Good, then do as I say. I will not ask again.” The threat was clearer this time, the air suddenly tense. Darcy swallowed, tried to ignore the way her heart rate had spiked. She cast her eyes down, suddenly shy under his scrutiny, and slowly lowered herself onto her knees in front of him. Loki walked closer, stopping just a foot away as he reached down and lifted her chin so she looked up at him. He was watching her, eyes on her lips, and that was when she remembered she was meant to have her mouth open. With a wave of something like nerves, Darcy slowly let her mouth fall open, brushing her lips against his hand. Loki made a noise deep in his chest, satisfied, and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. She willed her breath to slow from it’s fast pace as he stared down at her, her face flushed from the whole situation. Because somehow she had forgotten what it felt to be on your knees to someone. To be so willingly vulnerable. She repressed a shiver, watched his eyes as he dipped his thumb into her mouth. He rubbed it against her tongue, and as Darcy went to suck he spoke, stilling her.

“Don’t move.” He said, voice husky, and all she could do was kneel there as he slowly fucked into her mouth. There was a wetness between her thighs already, and when he finally withdrew he smeared his thumb against her lower lip. “These are the rules: Do not touch me unless I tell you to.” He was running his thumb along her lip as he spoke, the wet feel of it distracting her. “Do not speak unless spoken to. You may come unless I tell you otherwise.” He stopped his hand now, made sure she was paying attention. “You will tell me if you want me to stop.” Darcy nodded at this and he continued. “Call me Sir.” He gripped her jaw again, firmly enough that she couldn’t have moved if she tried. “Do you agree?” 

“Yes Sir.” She replied, voice low and she saw him shift, something settle in his face at her words. His eyes were dark and hungry and she couldn’t look away from them.  Darcys’ body was tense, tight and nervous, filled with anticipation at what she’d just agreed to. Loki dropped her jaw, and moved back slightly.

“Take off you shirt.” Darcy moved quickly, hands shaking slightly as she unbuttoned her cardigan carefully, still looking at him as she took it off. She gripped the hem of her shirt, jumping at the feeling of her fingers brushing her skin, before she lifted it up and over her head. She placed the shirt on top of the cardigan, meeting his eyes again to see them filled with lust. 

“Before we begin.” _Fuck_ , Darcy thought, _it hasn’t even started yet?_ “Your safe word?”

“Cupcakes.” She said automatically, feeling herself flush. “Sir.”

“Cupcakes.” Loki repeated, following the flush on her chest with his eyes. They were crinkled slightly at the corners, the only sign he found it amusing. “Very well. Spanking? Restricted movement?” And it took Darcy a moment to realise he was asking her if she was ok with that.

“Yes Sir.” She said quickly, just about stopping herself from saying please. He nodded once, let out another satisfied hum and then took his own shirt off. His chest was long and pale, with corded lines of muscle and Darcy traced the line of hair going from his belly button to below his pants. She made a sort of aborted moan at the sight, biting her lip to keep quiet. Loki watched her, mouth slightly apart, and Darcy wondered if they could get each other off just like this, by watching each others faces.

Then Loki reached forward and took her hand, helping her to her feet. The move surprised her, his hand wrapping gently in hers as he stepped forward until they were chest to chest. His bare chest was warm against her breasts, and his nipple was just there and so tweakable. While she was staring at his chest, his other hand came up. He placed it at the base of her throat, his large palm spread along her collar bone. He tensed his hand slightly, squeezing her throat in a slight threat before letting it relax again. Still staring into her eyes, he walked Darcy back, until she felt the wall press up against her. Loki followed, crowding her, his hand snaked up between them and still spread against her throat. He put a gentle pressure there, keeping her still but no way near to uncomfortable. Neither one of them spoke. Loki just carried on staring at her. Instead of the atmosphere easing up, if anything it intensified. His face was so focussed, so totally concentrated on her, the feeling of being under his scrutiny making her breathless. _That and his hand_. Darcy thought hysterically.

 She felt ….terrified really. But also as if every nerve in her body was paying complete attention. She was _aware_. And afraid. And desperately waiting for what came next.She wanted to speak, to break the tension with a joke or something. Loki seemed to sense this, tightened his grip on her throat slightly, a warning in his bright eyes. Darcy kept quiet. Was patient for once in her life. He watched her, and the heat between her legs built as he leant forward slowly to kiss her. It was chaste, lips brushing as he leant into her. Heat spread from her lips, and Darcy realised how long it had been since they last kissed. She felt her mouth open, offering more against his closed lips. Loki pulled his head back, kissing her jaw instead, lips spreading into a smile as she let out a frustrated breath. 

He was kissing his way along her jaw, small delicate things that were driving her crazy. They were such a contrast to the hand on her neck and the way he felt. His body was pressed along the length of hers, she could feel his erection through his trousers, the hard line of it rubbing against her as he moved. Darcy was so still, eyes clenched with the effort of not moving, hands splayed tight against her thighs. She wanted to touch him, to do anything except be held there. It was maddening, and exactly what she needed. Loki finally returned to her mouth, kissing her slowly. His mouth opened and she felt his tongue lick the edge of her lips before sliding between them. Darcy gasped, tried to lean forward to let him get deeper, but that hand on her neck flexed again and she froze, heart beating faster at the warning. Loki carried on, his tongue slowly fucking into her as his other hand started tracing her body. It reached down, curving round her waist, sliding under her shirt to rub at the small of her back. He was bringing her forward and she could feel his erection rubbing against her, as she remained trapped between him and the wall. She moaned into his mouth at how caged she felt, his arms so immovable against her.

Loki kissed her deeper, made this growl in the back of his throat that rumbled through both of their chests, and it was just the hottest noise. All animal, filled with lust and need and sending tingles to her clit. It had her arching up against him, and he ground into her, dick hard where it rubbed just too far away from her slit. He lifted her leg up to his waist and did it again, eliciting a gasp from her. His hand was running on the underside of her thigh, all the way to her ass, back and forth as he kissed her. Apart from ‘kissing her’ wasn’t really the right description. It was more like claiming her, his lips and tongue ceaselessly working hers until she had to tilt her head to the side to draw in breath. Loki carried on, instead nipping at the side of her now exposed neck, moving his hand down to suck on her pulse point. Darcy could hear this sort of desperate sound coming out of her chest, between her legs throbbing painfully even where he wasn’t touching her.  It was too much, the feel of him grinding against her, his lips on her neck, hand squeezing her ass as he pinned her to the wall. Too intense, and she wanted more. Her hands were still hanging by her side, his warning to her earlier strong in her mind, but she needed to touch him, to do something other than be pinned back and at his will. Loki obviously wanted to take his time, and maybe under other circumstances, Darcy would have been cool with that. She had been so good, so patient but his dick was right there, a few pieces of fabric between them, and it was exactly what she wanted.

Her heart beating faster, Darcy reached up, wondering if she could touch him without him noticing, or minding. He was suddenly kissing her mouth again, tongue rubbing against hers, and without thinking she grabbed the back of his head to hold him there. And it worked. For about half a second, and then suddenly Darcy was face down on the bed, her hand held in his behind her back, hair flopped in her face. His hand was gripping the back of her neck, not so gently pushing her into the bed, as her knees were bent under her. There was pounding in her chest at the suddenness of it, and as it calmed Darcy managed to get her mouth to move. 

“Wha-?” Crack. His hand came down hard on her ass cheek. Darcy yelped, burying her face into the pillow as the stinging spread across her skin. It had been a relatively light smack, but it was enough to leave a dull ache. Darcy bit her bottom lip to stop herself from talking. Loki shifted behind her, pressing his dick against her ass and she just stopped herself from moving back into it. She was throbbing, the space between her legs coiled tight and needy. She tried to calm herself, to focus on something else, Darcy knew well enough that she wouldn’t be coming any time soon. The sheets were cool against her face, and each breath she released moved the strands of hair covering her face. The room was silent except for her breathing, and Loki shifted again, gripping the back of her neck a little more firmly. He released her arms, Darcy knowing better than to move them before she felt rope slide under and around them. She tested the restraint lightly, loose enough not to cut of circulation, but not to get out. The position wasn’t that comfortable but Darcy was surprised at how turned on she was just from being held down like that. She let out a long breath, trying to get rid of the tension in her body. Loki shifted again, and she felt his hand lazily stroking her ass before he spoke.

“What were my instructions to you Darcy?” He asked, voice low but deceptively calm. She felt a shiver travel down her spine, the tone making her run a shaky tongue over her lips.  After a second she processed the question and tried to remember what he had said.

“Don’t move, don’t touch you, don’t speak unless spoken to. Sir.” Darcy recited in breathy gasps. He grabbed one of her ass cheeks, fingers digging in slightly before he released it, resting his hand there.

“And what did you do?” He asked, and she could hear the anger now, the words laced with something that made her clench her legs tighter. He tapped his fingers against her ass impatiently. Darcy remembered to speak.

“I moved, I touched you and I spoke. Sir.” The hand did not still, fingers still tapping. Darcy tried not to squirm away from them. The air was tense as she waited for him to speak again. 

“Do you think the instructions were unfair?” Loki asked tightly, and Darcy swallowed, replied quietly. 

“No Sir.” His fingers stilled, palm resting fully on her ass and Darcy held her breath in.

“Then why are you struggling with them?” Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, and she tried to answer his question, really did but his hand had stopped and she was struggling to concentrate. Darcy took a a big breath, was fumbling for an acceptable answer when the weight lifted from her ass. The hand on the back of her neck tightened. Her body was coiled tight, the dampness in her underwear starting to trickle down one thigh. She waited for the smack, tensed for it, when his hand traced the line of fluid up her thigh. Darcy shivered at the touch, his finger going up until it reached the edge of her panties. Loki remove his finger, and she heard the wet sound of him sucking it clean. _Fuck._ She smothered her face into the mattress. “I asked you a question.” He said, and at least his voice had traces of amusement. Darcy tried to remember what he had asked. Loki placed his hand back on her ass cheek. 

“I wanted to touch you. SIr.” She said, voice a tiny bit wrecked. He grabbed her hip, holding her still as he rearranged, slid his knees in-between hers. He spread her legs, opening her to him. Darcy could feel the heat of his gaze between her thighs and she felt the throbbing there quicken in response. 

“And you think what you want matters?” He said finally, sounding politely curious, but Darcy knew better. His hand had slid down and rubbed her firmly through her panties.

“No Sir.” She replied and her voice hitched on the last word. His hand was stroking now, soft little brushes moving closer to her clit each time. Her breath was getting shorter, his fingers so close now.

“This is about what I want Darcy.” He said, fingers finally reaching her clit to circle it as he spoke. “And right now, I want to fuck you into the mattress.” Darcy moaned, the feeling of his fingers on her clit, as well as his words making her dangerously close. She thought about telling him, knew she really should, but she had been waiting so long it was a little difficult to have self control. Loki removed his fingers and she groaned into the mattress at the loss of him. “Does that sound like a good plan Darcy?” She felt him move, the sound of him getting undressed, how he managed to keep his hand on her neck was a mystery. Darcy saw his pants fly past her to land on the floor. Her mouth went dry.

“Yes Sir.” She hated the way her voice sounded, all edged in begging and lust. The hand on her neck clenched, once and she knew heard him let out a slow breath. He released her, moving his hand into her hair instead, grabbing a fistful as a hand on her hip pulled her up. Her back was flush against his front and he pulled her hair, manipulating her head until she was half turned towards him. He kissed her, awkward at that angle, but enough tongue and urgency that her thighs tightened. That was when she realised his dick was resting between her legs. It was just below her pussy, firmly rubbing against her panties as he kissed her. She moaned into his mouth at the sensation, her hands tightening in the restraints. Her tied hands were pressed up against his stomach, nails scratching on his abs as she moved, tightening underneath her hands.  She heard his growl in the back of his throat, warning her not to do it again. His other hand had snaked around her front, pushing down and under her panties to rub lightly at her clit, in maddening circles that made her hips buck in frustration. Another growl, only this time he pulled on her hair tighter, removing his lips from hers to suck on her pulse point hard. She was so close, his fingers on her, mouth on her neck and his dick rubbing through her folds. So of course he removed his hand. Darcy moaned, but his dick was still rubbing her, and if she just tilted her hips enough-

“Stop.” His growled into her ear and she froze, fear trickling down her spine. His mouth was on her throat, licking a long stripe from her neck to the back of her ear and she shivered at it. Almost ticklish but not quite. She felt him untying the ropes runs her wrists, and she wanted to move them, get some circulation back but she was afraid. What she wanted was to grind against him, against that dick between her legs until she came. But Loki was all solid muscle behind her, and everything about him was a threat. He unraveled his hand from her hair, sliding it down to cup one of her breasts as the other hand moved. There was a tearing sound, and she felt cold air between her legs for a moment, before the hot press of his dick against her. Her ruined panties were thrown to the side of the bed. Darcy moaned at the feeling of him, and for a second she was sure she could come from the feeling of her leaking onto his dick. And then she was face down again, face slack in surprise as he pulled away from her to grip her hips tightly.

“Hold on.” He said simply, and then without warning he was in her. Darcy yelped, the sound broken from her open mouth. Before she had time to even catch her breath he was setting a relentless pace, fucking into her and she had to grab onto the sheets in front of her, cling on for dear life because she was honest to god _moving_ up the bed. Her chest was tight, the space between her legs all hot and open from everything he’d done earlier and each time he pushed into her she felt lightheaded. 

Because he’d never really fucked her before. Not like this, like he was trying to mark her from the inside out. Each thrust seemed to set off sparks inside her, making her hands clench on the sheets and small mewling sounds come from her mouth. She was in shock and out of control, and all she could do was take it. Words were falling from her lips, curses and begging and Darcy didn’t have time to worry about that because every thought was focussed on the orgasm that was building. It was unstoppable, and the pace he set was so relentless. He titled their hips between thrusts, changed the angle and suddenly every time he fucked into her it was all she could do to keep herself seeing straight. Darcy came, a full body rush, all the tension in her body leaving, dragged out by the moan she released. She felt so good, but she was oversensitive and Loki was not stopping. 

He didn’t even slow down, her desperate noises pushing him into her harder, and somehow Darcy could feel another orgasm coming. It was deeper, darker, more intense, and Darcy cried out because she wasn’t quite sure she was ready for it. Loki seemed to sense this, still fucking into her, and his fingers were suddenly rubbing against her clit, and he lifted her up again, her back against him as he spoke into her ear. “Come.” 

Darcy let out a desperate sobbing sound because from this angle it was somehow worse, he wasn’t pressing into her as deep, but now there was this fire in her belly, making her legs spasm and the feel of him was so tight in her.  His finger rubbed harder on her, and it felt so good but she was still fighting it. She tried to grab his hand, to pull it away, but his chest rumbled, let go of her hip to clench her hand tight. “I’m not asking.” He growled, and Darcy felt herself spasm at the words. The fear, and need and the way his dick was pumping into her making her come. Again. She didn’t even cry out this time, the feeling taking over her whole body, waves of it filling her as her eyes closed and she fell back against him. 

It was like her body completely relaxed, she was so limp against him, and as he fucked into her she could hear the wet sounds of it in the room. Her head was laying against his chest, and he was fucking her, peppering her neck with kisses as he chased his own release. He snarled against her neck, the sound making her clench around his dick. She felt his hand clench around hers, the hot breath of his moan against her ear as he came in hot spurts inside her. Darcy trembled against him, the sound forever saved in some part of her brain. Loki stilled, finished, his chest panting behind her. He moved her, twisting her so they fell back on the bed, her body pillowed against his and she couldn’t really move, her hand tight in his. 

He held her, strong arms wrapped around her as he mumbled into her hair. Words that didn’t make any sense for a while before they came into focus. He was _praising_ her. Darcy wanted to pull away, to break the arms holding her.  She wanted to say she didn’t need it, that she was fine, strong enough to not want it. But her body was weak, and filled with happiness. So instead she moved closer, curling up her legs and resting her face on his neck as he kissed the top of her head, arms holding her tighter as her heart slowed down. Darcy closed her eyes, trying to ignore the way he still hadn’t let go of her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts/ ideas you guys have please do share, I love getting comments from you guys, and if theres any hot Darcy/Loki fantasies you have, I’ll see about working them into the story.  
> Next time (Next week hopefully): Feelings carefully manuvered, a trip to Sweden and probably some fighting, because nothings peaceful between them for long.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This did not go how it was meant to. The whole cookie eating scene wasn’t meant to happen but it did and I have no regrets. It is probably the fluffiest thing I have ever written (which shows you why I don't do fluff). Also, I totally didn’t think I had a kink for food in bed, but maybe I do now? It’s a long one, so I’ll do another Sweden one next time. I totally meant for this story to be wrapped up in like five chapters, but now I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it :D Thank you guys for all the comments, kudos and views, I always appreciate them.

* * *

 

 

Darcy had fallen asleep, she hadn’t meant to, but her body had been all warm and soft after the orgasms. Lokis’ arms had been firm and his chest was pretty damn comfortable, at least the way she was splayed out on it. Her legs fell either side of his, and somehow his dick wasn’t touching her. It was the least sexual position she had ever been in with him. So when she woke up, it was with this loose-limbed, happy _comfortable_ feeling that made her forget where she was. Or more specifically, who she was on. The sex before she fell asleep had been amazing. Darcy had realised pretty quickly that the whole time with her on top had been playing. She had gone in with hardly a clue on what to do, just an idea that she wanted to. Loki had ruined her, been everything she had dreamed, fucked her through the bed and then… let her sleep on him?

Which was probably why she was panicking. It was bad enough that she had fallen asleep at all, actual dribble coming out of her mouth and onto his chest - but then he hadn’t even moved her. He had let her stay, not just in his bedroom, but _on_ him. As if this was something they did. Her eyes sprung open and  she lifted her head up to look at him. Loki was reading, arm holding one of his massive foreign books to the side of them. Darcy blinked, feeling ridiculously confused by the whole situation. She was staring at him, his handsome face too close to see clearly, as he finished the page and set the book down, reaching over with his other hand to place a bookmark in. Loki then smoothly lay one hand back on her arse- and had it been laying there the whole time? - and grabbed her glasses where they had been folded next to them before sliding them gently onto her face. 

He had removed her glasses while she slept. He had let her sleep on him. He had pulled a cover over them while he allowed her to sleep on him without her glasses on. Darcy blinked slowly, failing to control the freakout that was happening in her brain. Thankfully, they had stopped holding hands at some point, because honestly, Darcy didn’t think she could handle that as well. She willed herself to calm down, took a breath, then let it out.  It ruffled her hair where it hung around her face and she tried to asses the situation. She had slept stretched up, one hand wrapped around his firm waist, the other reaching up to brush the back of his neck. Where it still lay, actually stroking the soft hair there. Darcy stopped as soon as she noticed, pulling her traitor hand back. 

He was smiling at her, this soft, but still smirky, thing, and she was trying to look away but it was making her feel warm, and calm and like she could stay laying on him forever. _Fuck_

“I fell asleep.” Darcy finally got out, her voice not a little stunned.

“Yes.” He replied, smirking fully now.

“I fell asleep on _you_.” She said this time, trying to make him realise how weird this whole thing was. How weird it was that it didn’t feel weird.

“Yes.” He said again, slower this time, eyebrows raised. The undertone read: _obviously_.

“You didn’t move me.” She had been aiming for a statement, but the end of the sentence changed into a question somehow. His brow crooked up but he didn’t say anything, his eyes still crinkled at the edges. There was a feeling in her chest, sort of breathless and serious, and they were still staring at each other. 

“I dribbled on you.” Darcy blurted out, and Loki let out a laugh that shook his chest where it lay under her. His hand moved to wipe some of the dribble from the corner of her mouth, thumb brushing her lip.

“Indeed.” He replied, voice laced with humour. That laugh was still lingering on his face, growing into a shit eating smile as he watched his thumb. “If it comforts you, it is hardly the first fluid of yours I have come into contact with.” Darcy snorted despite herself, rolling her eyes even as she flushed. She met his eyes again to say something snarky but his hand tightened on her arse, a warning that made her bite her lip. He had that soft hungry look on his face and Darcy briefly wondered if they were ever going to leave the bedroom. Then her stomach rumbled like a waking bear and Loki looked at her in alarm. A wave of embarrassment swept over her and Darcy rolled her body off of his to hide her face in the pillow. She landed with a thump, cringing as she hid herself. A second passed, then she felt Loki move, before something landed on the bed next to her. Darcy looked up, and saw a packet of cookies next to her. Her favourite cookies. She would like to pretend she waited a second before sitting up and ripping the pack open, but Darcy tried to be honest to herself. 

“Where did you get them from?” Darcy asked, third cookie in her mouth already. Loki was propped up on one arm next to her, something like awe and disgust on his face as he watched her devour the food. 

“The drawer.” He said simply, pointing at his drawers next to his bed.

“You eat cookies?” She asked, surprised. Loki gave a non-commital shrug. Darcy worried at how much of a turn on it was that he kept food that close to hand. It was a very attractive quality. “I thought they would be beneath your asgardian tastes.” She mocked, before popping another one in her mouth. His eyes followed as she brushed her crumb covered fingers on her thigh.

“Midgard does have one or two valuable exports.” His voice was low, mouth twisted in a wry smirk as he watched her. She stopped in her chewing, and then honest to god blushed, possibly the first true one in her lifetime. That feeling was in her chest again, the lightness, along with a flush on her cheeks. It made her uncomfortable. Filled her with the need to either run or leap on him and both options seemed stupid. So Darcy picked up a cookie and stuffed it into his mouth. After a huff of surprise he ate it with annoying dignity and a quiet crunch before his eyes brightened in childlike happiness.

“Quite delicious.” He said, once he had finished eating.

“You sound surprised.” She said in confusion, the cookies were in his drawer after all. Loki gave a small hum and eyed the packet. He tried to reach for another one and she moved the packet away quickly. Her fastest reflexes had always been food related. Darcy gave him her hardest glare which made him smile, so instead he leant forward and licked the spray of crumbs on her thigh slowly. Her brain skittered slightly, yet more broken cookie falling from her mouth. Darcy swallowed the rest of the biscuit, the sweet chocolaty taste strong on her tongue. He looked up at her, and leant his head towards her belly, following the trail as it went up her body. Darcy felt her stomach contract, both of them very aware she wasn’t wearing any panties and he was very close to a certain area. He smirked at her in that cocky way of his and moved again. Her hand had stilled, on its way to her mouth, another cookie hanging there as she watched him brush his tongue towards her. 

Loki shifted suddenly, rolled over, naked body straddling hers She was still just in her bra, and his dick was very close to an empty part of her body. Darcy felt her heart rate pick up because she was so down for wherever this was going. Loki moved his hand and Darcy stiffened, held the cookies away from him. He laughed, a rich sound and very pointedly held his arms behind his back. He raised an eyebrow in question and Darcy gave a slight nod, barely able to keep up. Her gut tightened, and she shifted slightly, his dick coming very much to attention between them. He leant forward, eyes catching on hers before he licked at the crumbs that had landed between her boobs. His tongue was soft and warm, and Darcy realised her arms were still above her head. She lowered them, placing the packet next to her as she watched him. Hs head was down between her breasts, dark hair brushing against the skin as she felt his tongue slide along the curve of them. Darcy gasped, her hand tightening on the sheet as he nipped at the skin, trying to spread her legs in between his. She felt him smile against her, press a soft kiss to her chest before he looked up at her, face close and slightly flushed. 

There was this wave of _something_ , in her body. Sort of like lust but also- affection? Darcy felt wetness between her legs, but his hair was all mussed, cheeks pink from where they had been pressed against her and that made her feel other things. _Feelingsy_ things.  All she knew was that she wanted more. Loki moved forward again, this time licking up from her breasts, the edge of her collarbone, sucking lightly on her neck before he reached her lips. His tongue brushed against her lips, and she felt him suck her lower one into his mouth before he moved to lick the remaining crumbs from her. She arched towards him, seeking his mouth but he made a warning growl that stopped her. She leant back, slightly breathless and let him place featherlight kisses along her jaw before he pressed a soft one right on her lips. It was tender, might have been chaste if they both weren't half naked, but it pulled at something in her chest. Loki leaned back, and she expected him to be smug, but instead he just looked how she felt - out of it. They were both breathing heavily, and the air between them was odd, intense but not all of it sexual. She felt her own eyes go wide, her mouth drop as she saw the fucked look on his face. Her hand moved and she bought the cookie up to his mouth. 

Loki opened it, and she slid the dark cookie past his lips, watching as she fed him. He bit into it, and she let go, her hand falling to land on his thigh as he ate. His jaw was chewing, hard line moving and as he finished his tongue came out to lick the crumbs from his lips. He moved his arms and she pinched his thigh, shaking her head no until he moved them back. I didn’t make sense, each of them setting limits on the other and at the same time, but somehow it was working. As if they were both happy to give up a little bit of control for a while. Loki moved again, smirking as he bought their lips together before he dipped his tongue into her open mouth. His tongue was sweet from the food, sugary and perfect and she brushed it slowly, chasing the taste. She sucked on it gently, before pulling back, leaning her forehead against his to take a breath. Her hand was rubbing small circles against his thigh, thumb brushing ever closer to his crotch. Her chest felt tight, all full and happy and she wanted to hide her face against his neck because it was doing things she didn’t want him to see. Loki was breathing heavily, watching her, and he leant forward to run his nose along the side of hers. Warm tingles splashed along her spine and the giddy feeling grew into something close to panic as she realised how much she didn’t want him to stop. 

He kissed her again, tongue pushing past her lips in a slow fuck that made her moan softly into his mouth. It was such a slow pace, so lazy and maybe that was what scared her. That they had gotten to the point where they were enjoying just kissing each other. She felt her chest give out a small gasp and she pulled away suddenly, worried that if she didn’t do it now she never would. She turned leant her forehead against his and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the look on his face. Heart rate slowing, she lifted her head away.

“We can’t just have sex all the time.” Darcy finally got out, and felt him shift back to look at her. She felt like she could breath a bit easier when he was further away, that he wasn’t confusing her as much. She opened her eyes to see him unwrap his arms, face curious but more guarded. Darcy realised that was the first time she had seen it do that since she woke. She could see the cogs turning in his head and tried to pull on some sort of poker face.

“Why not?” He asked carefully. She tried to think of a good reason besides ‘This is starting to feel a bit too much like feelings’. She looked away from him, trying to think. Darcy finally held a finger up, trying to project a confidence she didn’t feel.

“Number one : I’m human.” She said snarkily, raising her eyebrows, daring him to challenge. His mouth twitched at her face, or her words she didn’t know.

“A fact I repress daily.” He replied, and she really tried not to smirk at the reply. She put a second finger up.

“Number two: I’m not a prostitute.” 

“Unfortunately.” He said smoothly, at her indignant squeak he explained “We’d spend much more time fucking if you were.” Which really didn’t make it any better.

“I get paid for my time here.” Darcy tried again.

“And.” Loki said blandly.

“I should be using it for shield approved activities.” She said explained and he rolled his eyes. And she really didn’t know what reaction she expected from him other that this. She just knew she needed to set some sort of limits between them. 

“You are allowed to work with me, I believe that means it’s shield approved.” Loki pointed out, and she tried to argue but it was really difficult with him staring at her like that. He was looking at her strangely, and she just knew he was trying to figure her out. Darcy looked away from him, removed her hand from his thigh and pulled her legs out from between his. She turned on the bed, got up and started putting on her clothes, remembering too late that he tore her underwear. She took them off again with a huff and ignored the way Loki was watching her with that crease between his forehead. 

“And I definitely shouldn’t sleep here. It will mess up my sleeping pattern.” She was nearly fully dressed now, and they both knew she was trying to talk around the real reason for her not staying.  She did not explain that she needed to limit her time with him. That time like this was making her want _more_ from him.  He was watching her carefully, mulling over his words until he finally spoke.

“I wouldn’t worry about your sleeping pattern. We have a flight to catch tomorrow morning.”

“What?” She said, stopping to look at him. 

“Coulson sent a message while you were asleep, we’re going to Sweden to investigate out that anomaly in person.” He smiled brightly at the next words. “We leave at six o’clock tomorrow morning.”

 

* * *

 

 

The six o clock start had clearly not been kind to Darcy. Loki was watching her, slumped in her seat, sipping her coffee and steadfastedly ignoring him. The midgardians had hired a plane to take them to Sweden, obviously wary of the mayhem his presence would cause on a commercial flight. Loki was disappointed he hadn’t the chance to prove them right. The plane was a simple thing, a poor attempt at splendour that he found quaint at best.  When he had mentioned this to Darcy she sent him a disbelieving look that made him hide his smirk. She then took a long drink of that awful smelling drink and mumbled _entitled asshole_ under her breath. He made sure to complain about the refreshments they were provided just to see that glare on her face again. She really was entertaining when irritated. 

Loki was still watching her, so saw the moment her eyes drifted from the window, her body starting to relax as she fell asleep. It was quite impressive that she could fall asleep at all after the amount of that liquid she had drunk, but the dark circles under her eyes said she’d had a restless night. Frowning, Loki removed the cup from her hand before she had the chance to drop it, placing it to one side. Darcy was not a graceful sleeper. Had he not allowed her to rest on him the day before, he would have discovered it on that flight. Her body seemed to be almost constantly in some sort of motion. Her leg twitched as he watched her, narrowly missing a small table and Loki smirked. He was seated on the other side of the small aeroplane, Darcy having sat as far from him as was possible. He sank back into the uncomfortable seats, and settled in for the flight, considering waking the midgardian for entertainment alone.

The bags under her eyes stopped him, and he frowned at himself, wondering when he allowed his own needs to be put behind hers. Perhaps he would have been disturbed, but he didn’t seem to feel anything at all. Even the day before, when her heart had slowed, and her breath had evened out as she lay sprawled on his chest, he had barely considered moving her. It had surprised him, but that was no excuse for allowing her to carry on. It would have been simple to slide her off of him, but then her arm had reached round to the back of his neck, the other one round his middle, and he found himself frozen. It was ridiculous really, and still Loki couldn’t comprehend why he had decided to wait and read instead of moving her.

_Trust_ , part of him answered. The same thing that had drawn him to making her submit. The heavy rush that came with having her give herself to him. It affected him, made him want more even as he was taking everything she had offered. Her submission had been valhalla, everything he had hoped. And yet, he did not understand why it was having this effect on him. Sex was not an emotional pursuit for him. It could be kept separate, a physical act that he took great enjoyment out of, but that served no larger purpose than stress relief. With Darcy however, it had become something else. With other partners, he understood the need to help them after a scene. To reassure them, settle them, help them come down if it had been particularly intense. With her it hadn’t felt like an obligation. It had felt like he _wanted_ to do it. Loki wanted to push the thought away, but it was not in his nature to live in denial. If he truly was developing some misguided feeling for the human, there would be a good reason. He just needed to discover it.

He wanted her. In his bed, of course, but also near him, talking to him. She was fascinating, and Loki could never have anticipated a human having this effect on him. It was not love, he truly did not think he was capable of that. But it was something he had not experienced for an age. Affection possibly. Lust most likely. Perhaps something like that disease he had heard of on Vanaheim. 

But she was still a mystery to him. She was keeping things from him, had been ever since they met in truth. While he could read her face like a book, he did not always understand why she was feeling the way she was. Perhaps that was the appeal. The flight seemed to highlight it even further, her withdrawal from him after her submission curious but not surprising. Darcy did not deal with feelings well. Specifically, emotions regarding him. She had seemed most disturbed that he had allowed her to rest on him, and he failed to come up with an answer to his own questions let alone hers. And then the cookie incident. He honestly did not know what possessed him to acquire some of those treats, and keep them in his bedroom drawer. Perhaps it was that she was always talking about midgardian food. Or perhaps it was because he knew those were her favourite. And he wanted to do something nice for her. Submission could do the strangest things.

Either way, he would have given her some sooner if it meant watching her eat with such enthusiasm. If there was one thing he could say about Darcy, it was that she didn’t do things by halves. But then there had been kissing, and he had enjoyed just _being_ with her. He didn’t know what to say as she packed up her things, and fled from him again. It was not an acceptable solution, but he didn’t have the words to calm her. To tell her that it was ok for them to enjoy spending time with each other. Loki had slept with many people, some who had been friends, some who had not. He did not see the need for them to separate the two, like she did.  Loki was sure she would get over this little hiccup, was content to let her come up with a solution on her own without his interference. As long as it didn’t take too long. He enjoyed her, her body and her mind, and was not ready to give that up. It seemed that she enjoyed him also, and not only the sex. 

She understood the way that he was. That he hurt people. Used them. And yet. She stayed. He knew he could be difficult company. But Darcy did not seem to care, instead she challenged him, pushed him and seemed to thrive in the fact that they fought. Being near her was a rush, her unpredictability and volatile nature enough to make him feel alive for the first time since that failed invasion. Darcy accepted him, wanted him despite all of his flaws. The only thing she tried to do was curb his urge to use violence. That was an irritation at best, and it truly was not such a hardship to restrain himself when he had such a pretty distraction.

There was no holding back with her. No sugar coating, or pulling punches, from the first day they met. He had been himself, and for her that was enough. Loki shifted in his seat, still watching her sleeping on the plane. There was a tightening in his chest that he tried to shift away. Her hair had fallen over her face and his hand itched to move it off. He let his hand lie still, mindful of waking her. Decided that maybe her needs could go before his. Loki knew he was selfish. That he wanted things for himself, regardless of the effect. It was strange to want things for someone else. He watched her, eyes fluttering as she slowly woke up, drowsy blue reflecting up at him. Perhaps it was not such a bad thing.

 

* * *

 

 

They had landed hours later, and  Loki had indulgently let her ignore him for the rest of the journey. As if she truly could. He had even managed to avoid causing any mischief with the four guards stationed on the plane. Aside from that small fire. Once the plane had stilled, Darcy was called outside, to meet with that soft spoken agent man who insisted in involving himself in their business. Loki use a little bit of magic to hear their conversation where they stood on the tarmac, watching them through the window.

“Miss Lewis, a word?” Coulson said, and Loki watched Darcy cross her arms, already defensive. He felt himself tense in response.

“Just the one? Seems unlikely, even for you.” She said easily, just her body language giving her away. The man watched her carefully, before gesturing to the bracelet fitted around her ankle, the one they had fitted on her that morning.

“The monitor we fit you with is much like the tracker on Mr.Odinssons ankle. It will only work within a specific field, and since this research requires movement, we have decided it should be linked to you.” He said, and Darcy frowned, shifted a little.

“What?” She asked, confusion on her face.

“He must remain within five metres of you at all times. You both must also follow a route plan for the duration of your trip.” Loki raised his own eyebrows at that. He had no wish to be led like a dog.

“That sounds shit.” Darcy replied plainly, and he felt himself smile at her candidness.

“It is a requirement.” The man said firmly. “You must log the location you wish to remain in before you move off of your current route. The system is quite intuitive.” Darcy stared at the man for a moment.

“I’m sure.” She said carefully, pausing before speaking again. “What happens if he doesn’t? Whats to stop him just, going?”

“He will feel pain.” Coulson said, and Loki smirked, rolling his eyes. Darcy had much the same reaction before she spoke.

“I get a feeling he won’t mind that so much.”

“Past that point, if he continues to run, and the pain does not stop him, it has been enabled with a device that will terminate.” Coulson continued, and he watched as Darcy froze.

“You have something that can kill him?” Darcy said quietly, face paling in concern. Loki shifted in his seat, tried to get a better view of them, he knew better than to believe the mortals could kill him. 

“Not him.” Coulson said carefully, and now Loki snapped his head to look at the man, a growl leaving his throat.

“Me?” Darcy asked quietly, mouth falling open in shock. Loki felt himself stiffen, registered the guards left in the plane shift in response. He could feel his face was tight, anger flowing through him. _How dare they?_ So caught up in himself it took him a moment to register Darcy was speaking. 

“You’re giving him a free pass. To run?!” Her voice was raised, fists tight as she looked at the man. He was watching her carefully, face blank but assessing as she shouted at him. Her curvy body was practically shaking with anger and Loki stilled as he saw through the agents ruse. “He won’t have to show any sort of remorse for the damage he’s done? How is that fair to the people he’s hurt? What the fuck is wrong with you guys? I am nothing. There is no way you are stupid enough to think that just because it would kill me, he wouldn’t run.” Darcy stopped talking, thought about her last words, a frown pulling on her face as she figured out what Loki already had. If he wasn’t so angry he would have been proud.

“Oh. Of course you’re not. You just wanted to see my reaction to it.” He knew her, so knew that while she seemed calmer, her rage was just pushed down.

“It was necessary to understand your view of the relationship.” He explained, and that did not change the need to hurt someone that Loki was feeling.

“It’s not a relationship.” She bit out, voice cold and hard and Loki didn’t know how to feel. Coulson watched her carefully, apparently satisfied with what he saw before he spoke again.

“In the event of an escape attempt he will become paralysed. There will be no effect on you.” He answered the question before Darcy could, although really at that moment she looked like she wanted to be away from him. 

“Are we done?” She snapped in a cold voice. 

“We just need to show you how to use the locator.” He replied, gesturing to another agent to bring over a tablet. Loki slumped back into the seat, body tense and heart pounding as he tried to shake of the angry haze in his head. He took a few breaths, glared at the guards until they gave him some space. He did not fully comprehend why he was angry. Because of course, if the only thing stopping him from freedom was one midgardians life, he would take it. It wasn’t even a question of his feelings towards her. Freedom would always be worth more than a human. More than Darcy. Obviously. So why did he feel anger licking at his spine? Heat in his clenched fists as he tried to take even breaths. He had told her she was nothing, and meant the words, so why did her saying it rip him open?

It was then that he understood - It was not that she thought he would do that- she was a smart woman, perceptive and given what they knew of each other it was probably a fair assessment. It was that she had simply accepted it. She was not angry that her life could be at risk. She was angry that other people could be hurt. That he would be free to get away with his ‘crimes’, and hurt again. 

There were so few midgardians of value, it made him furious to think that she didn’t understand she was one of them. He could not quite explain why it made him that angry, just that it did. It was not right that she cared for herself so little as to put herself in harms way. In fact, as long as he had known her, that was exactly what she had been doing. She had provoked him, pushed him, and it was only her stubborness, and their mutual attraction that had allowed them to work together so well. Without either of those things, Loki could guarantee that she would no longer be working with him. 

Did she not have family? Friends? People to warn her off of the self destructive path she was on. Who allowed her to be anywhere near him to begin with? Knowing who he was, what he did? Why did she not value herself more? It was unacceptable. He would not allow her to think so little of herself. He heard a noise on the steps, and realised Darcy was walking back up the plane to him. He turned to watch her, face staring at the tablet as she walked to him. She didn’t even glance up as she spoke, a frown on her face as she touched the screen.

“We’re linked together, by the bracelets. I’ve got the route we have to follow. Sort of like treasure hunting, only the treasure is work, and we know exactly where it is, and if you move off the line you’ll get paralysed.” The light was reflected in her glasses, and she looked up when he didn’t answer. Her mouth fell open slightly at his face, and he realised his anger was still written on it plainly. 

“Are you ok?” She asked quietly, concerned and he glared at her, truly unable to understand how she could feel that for him and not herself. He pushed out of the chair, and walked over, indicating to the door. He stopped next to her, staring into the blue eyes and wondering how he could _make her_ understand. 

“Shall we?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Loki tries to get Darcy to appreciate herself. Darcy tries to get over her own feelings. Sexy sex, and random Swedish scenery.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Update! I wrote two chapters so I don’t feel so bad about one being all porn. Also, I know nothing about this field of science, so that smell is 100% bullshit.  
> You guys are seriously so sweet, your comments always make me smile and every kudos and read keeps motivating me :3 This one got out of hand, like actual feelings territory out of hand, so prepare yourself for earnest Loki, who might actually be my kryptonite.

* * *

 

 

They had been working the island since they arrived. Once they landed a car had taken them along their pre-programmed route (eye roll), to a jetty. There they had caught a small boat captained by another stone faced guard, to a island about ten minutes ride away. The island itself couldn’t have been more than 1km square, but the thick trees and rocky terrain made Darcy thankful for the tablet. At least she only had to follow the path that had been planned for them. They weren’t gonna get much time to do research that day, the flight and travel time meaning it was afternoon by the time they got there.

They didn’t need any equipment, scientists from Gothenburg university doing some investigations of their own. Of course, they had only been told that there was an electromagnetic field disturbance, not that it held a possibility for inter dimensional travel. It was probably a good thing, meant the students were happy to let Shied use the site for a few days while they worked in a makeshift lab. All Loki and Darcy had to go on, was that one day a month ago, there was a spike in energy on the same wavelength as the Bifrost. It was probably an anomaly, but Shield were extra sensitive about this stuff. It struck Darcy as odd that they didn’t send Jane, but she had been pretty busy with her own experiments, and at least Loki wasn’t going to get mobbed by the Swedish students. 

Darcy and Loki were left to it, the guards pretty much taking the perimeter while they worked. She didn’t really understand the point of them, to protect them from the Swedish group, or the Swedish group from them? Because one seemed unnecessary, and the other way too optimistic. Darcy was watching Loki carefully. He was being odd, had been acting strange ever since they landed. He had been glaring at her like she had stopped him murdering someone or something, and Darcy didn't really know how to deal with it. Normally, that sort of reaction from him was deliberate on her part. She would know exactly what she had done to cause it, and it made it even sweeter when she could feel his eyes down to her bones. But this time, she couldn’t even appreciate the feeling. She was honestly surprised at how focussed he seemed. He was actually doing work in between glaring, instead of bothering her or the guards or trying to make something explode. She shifted, turning away from him to look out from the island they were on.

She was starting to wonder if it was some belated reaction to her sleeping on him. If he had stayed in a post-orgasmic haze until she left and then realised what had happened. Whatever. It was his choice to get all nice suddenly, and if he wanted to blame her for his one time bout of _feelings_ , so be it. The tablet in her hand gave a buzz, telling her she was near the edge of their tether, and she took a step back, turning towards Loki.

“I need the book on Nornish transcript from the other week.” He said, and she watched him standing, eyes closed, head slightly back.

He had been like that for forty minutes, and she didn’t know if he was doing something or just enjoying being outside. There was a pang as she realised it was probably the first time he’d been outside in ….years? Ever since he was bought back to earth. She had been working with him for nearly six months, and before that who knew how long he’d been kept there. That was a fuck long time not to feel sunshine on your skin. “Now.” He demanded tensely, watching her then, and she rolled her eyes, pushing away the sympathetic part of her. Darcy searched for it on the tablet, walking to him.

“You didn’t bring it?” He said in irritation when she offered him the device.

“Does it look like I have a two thousand page book on me?” She answered, gesturing to her body, and he closed his eyes to let out a breath. And that was weird, because he didn’t even check her out. _Are you ok?_ She wanted to ask, because no matter how pissed he had been before he never miss a free look. He reached out, took the tablet and turned away from her. Rude.

“You’re welcome.” She said pointedly, and pulled out her notebook to start the report they would have to give in. She had more notes on the tablet, references from actual science to add to whatever mystic magic speak Loki was going to give her, if he gave her anything useful from the whole trip. It seemed more likely that he was trying to figure it out for himself and would hand in half a page of cryptic work at the end. Darcy didn’t really give a shit, as long as they had something useful to give to Jane.

By the time she had written an outline, and started detailing what more information she’d have to get, Darcy noticed one of the Swedish guys being stopped by the guards at the perimeter. He had a confused, frustrated sort of look on his face, and Darcy knew that look all too well when it came to the Shield guards Loki had. She walked over to him, ignoring the way Loki followed her movement, pulling the collar of her coat up. Darcy was aware that the hickies on her neck - courtesy of Loki- were starting to come into full bloom. There were a range on her body, because his love of marking every spare bit of skin was too real. She smiled at the guy when she reached him, making sure to keep within five metres of Loki.

“Hi, can I help you?” Darcy asked brightly, and well, she might have been a bit desperate to talk to someone, Loki and the guards doing an effective job of making her feel like a lamp all day. The guy smiled back, all tan skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, and how was it fair that Swedish people were so naturally pretty?

“Hey, we were wondering if you wanted to join us for Fika?” Hot Swedish Dude said, and she didn’t know what that was, but wanted in if they were all going to look like him. 

“Fika?” She asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Fika break?” He tried again and she just shook her head.“Coffee?” Darcy cracked open a wide smile.

“Dude I love you.” She replied earnestly, because her caffeine fix for the day had been fucked up by the flight. Darcy asked him for directions and then turned back to grab dark and broody. “We’re going to get coffee, because if I have to stand here for another minute without it, I’ll going to start singing Frozen at you. In a vocal range we both know I don’t have.” Loki stared at her, eye twitching, before allowing her to remove the tablet from his hands. She had effectively ended an argument about the correct length of book marks the week before by blasting ‘Let it go’ in the lab for two hours straight. She may have emailed Tony to override the comms system in the lab so Loki couldn’t access it. Either he had heard the rumours about the two of them, and didn’t care, or hadn’t heard and enjoyed every opportunity to piss Loki off. Darcy smiled at Loki sweetly in thanks, plotting in the route Hot Swedish Dude gave her. Loki was staring down at her intently, and she pretended to ignore him until the approval came through. 

When it did, she started walking away towards the track, holding her breath before the soft crunch of pine needles followed behind her. Hot Swedish Dude met them at the edge, leading them through the forest and keeping up a surprisingly chirpy level of chatter that Darcy aimed to match once there was caffeine in her. He gave her his name at one point, and she really tried to remember it, but it was in-between what he’d had for breakfast and the name of his three cats. Loki was clearly not enjoying the walk as much as she was, she could practically hear his irritation at the man in every step they took. He was skulking behind them, and she turned back once to see him glaring daggers into the guys' back. Darcy had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, and just managed to resist slowing the pace to make the walk drag on.

They finally arrived at a large gazebo, chairs and tables set up under it and a few people sitting down. Hot Swedish Dude led them over to the coffee, and Darcy poured herself a cup before turning to offer to make Loki one. He was sitting at one of the edge tables, by himself and staring out into the forest. Her heart skipped a little, and she turned to find something he might like. Darcy and Hot Swedish Dude back to him, and she set down a small glass of orange juice in front of him before sitting opposite. He didn’t even acknowledge it, just turned his head further away. The dude was talking again, and Darcy was half listening, body turned to look at him while she tried to push down her concern. A couple of his co-workers came over and introduced themselves, sitting on the end furthest away from Loki as the group started talking.

Darcy wondered at how none of them seemed to recognise him, he wasn't exactly inconspicuous, but figured Shield was smart enough to keep his face under wraps, or at least vet the other people working at the site. Darcy forgot sometimes that the things she knew weren’t common knowledge. She started talking to one of the other scientists, Lovisa, a friendly woman with braided black hair. 

“You have a PhD?” She asked politely, and Darcy managed not to spray coffee all over her shirt with her snort. 

“No, I’m the intern. They just need someone stupid to do the grunt work.” She said with a smile, the idea that anyone could think she was a scientist was laughable. She heard a noise to the side of her, turned her head to see Loki had boring his eyes into her skin, hand fisted around the now broken glass. _Shit_ , she thought, only just remembering that he had an issue with that word. She dragged her eyes away, skin singing with tension to look at Hot Swedish Dude, and the rest of the group who were eyeing Loki and the glass cautiously.

“I mean, not stupid.” She said, trying in vain to stop the look on either of their faces. “Just not that smart.” She finished,  and Loki stood up, storming away from them. Darcy watched him open mouthed, frozen for a second before she remembered they had to stay close to each other. Swearing she apologised to Hot Swedish Dude, and ran after Loki, just about keeping her coffee from spilling. She tapped out a new plan on the tablet, just about stopping him from reaching the border and paralysing himself. This time the thought of making him immobile wasn’t nearly as sexy as it sounded.

“Hey!” She shouted, the tablet buzzing in her pocket as she tried to catch up to him. “Stop!” Loki carried on, and Darcy huffed, having to almost jog to keep up. They made it back to the site, and Loki didn’t stop, pacing round as he held a hand to his face.  “I know I shouldn’t have said it, but you’ve been all grumpy anyway. I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died but-” He held up his hand and spoke, cutting her off.

“Enough, we will talk about this after work.” His voice was clipped, all business cold. She felt herself bristle.

“We can talk about it now.” She replied, crossing her arms and trying to get him to meet her eyes. He did, shooting her a look.

“Believe it or not I have more important things to be concentrating on.” Loki growled looking at her in disbelief. Darcy raised an eyebrow, felt herself tense.

“I don’t doubt it, but it hasn’t stopped you glaring at me all day.” She pointed out, and he glared at her then, dark and full of fury. Darcy didn’t even look away. “Yeah, just like that.” He looked away in frustration.

“Once we are finished and we have gone back to whatever hovel we are expected to sleep in tonight, you will come to my bedroom.” He said, as if she would do exactly that.

“Fuck off.” Because she hated this, his expectation that she would toe the line without him telling her what was going on. 

“This is not a discussion.” 

“No it’s a fucking argument.” She snapped, and Loki made a noise deep in his throat, feral and raw, the sound of all the frustration that had built up. It was aggressive and powerful, and Darcy just managed not to take a step back. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she kicked herself, because she kept on treating him like someone who wasn’t dangerous. Kicked herself again, because when he next spoke, she remembered why.

“Darcy. I am not asking.” His deep voice was laced with all of the power he was holding back on. And didn’t that just send chills down to her toes and blood to her cheeks. She didn’t even have a witty reply, just swallowed tightly. Her heart was loud in her ears, and her breath felt erratic in her frozen chest. His intense stare burnt and she nodded once, a quick thing but all she could manage. He carried on for a second, making sure before looking away. He reached forward, and for a scary moment she thought it was for her hand- before taking the tablet out of her pocket. Darcy turned around to try and pull herself together.

They ended up working until nine that night, Loki insistent in searching the area ‘magically’ and Darcy managed to write out the report in her notebook, excluding whatever mumbo jumbo Loki would come up with. He seemed calmer after they had fought and Darcy hoped in vain that maybe he had gotten over it. Or at least calmed down. They were escorted to a lodge once they were finished, and Darcy was really starting to feel the flight. She considered asking Loki to do it another day, but knew how ever angry he was then, it wouldn’t compare to being made to wait.

In her room, Darcy took a moment to calm herself. Her heart was racing, and she was nervous, but she couldn’t deny the excitement making her blood sing. She checked her hair in the mirror, considered taking a shower but didn’t want to make him angrier. She looked at her face, wide eyed and not a little anxious. She wondered if that was how she always looked around him. Her suitcase had been placed on the bed, and she got changed into her comfy clothes, a large jumper and soft bottoms. His room was right next door, the five meter distance exchanged for both of them having to keep to their rooms and the corridor. Darcy opened her door, checked each way, and made her way over.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Loki was staring out the window when Darcy snuck into his bedroom. His whole body was still, muscle firm and she knew him well enough to know he was pissed. Really, really pissed. After a bit of hesitation, she shut the door behind her. The room was dim and sparsely furnished, just a bed, side table, a few lamps and some drawers. As she scanned it she willed her heart to slow down.

“Sit down.” He said, not even bothering to keep the order out of his voice. Darcy did, perching on the end of the bed, tucking her hands into her sleeves. She normally liked being told off. The way he talked down to her, insulted her, that was a game they both played. Pushing at each others buttons, but within limits they somehow instinctively knew. It worked, and both of them got off on it. But then, in that room, it was something else already. The air felt heavy and dark, tension running up her legs. Her skin itched and she’d never felt such a strong urge to _hide_ from him before. 

“You called yourself stupid. Again.” His voice was eerily calm, and she would have rather him shout than that. He was still looking out the window, and Darcy didn’t even try to speak, knew he would ask her a question if he wanted her to.“You put yourself down, allow other people to put you down. The only person you defend yourself against is me.” Loki moved from the window, standing in front of her in a beat, and she saw how truly angry he was. He looked wild, hair messy, body tense like he was going to pounce. She felt jittery and scared, but mostly she was confused. Not really sure why it had affected him so much.

“Your low opinion of yourself is distracting, blatantly untrue, and worst of all harmful.” He continued, the anger thrumming in every word and if she wasn't so confused, she would have been into it. Would have been rolling over to offer him whatever he would take. His hands were fisted beside him, and she wanted to take them in hers, smooth them out. Find out where the fuck this had come from. The urge to comfort _him_ , came out of nowhere, but didn’t fade. He seemed to get even angrier as he spoke, even as his voice got quieter. “It is not right that you continue to value yourself so lowly. You are reckless, even from our first meeting, and seem to have no issue with putting yourself at risk.” He stopped then, let out a breath and looked at her expectantly. As if she had any proper idea what was going on. Darcy felt _aware_ at the attention, having all of his focus on her. She opened her mouth a couple of times before forcing a word out.

“And?” Darcy asked gently, trying to understand what this was about. Loki blinked once, in disbelief or something else and stared at her.

“Excuse me?” His voice was low, all threat and rumble and she had to ignore her heart before she could speak.

“I mean- why do you care?” She asked, trying to work out what she was missing. What would he possibly get from giving a shit? Loki looked at her, eyes frustrated as his jaw clenched. 

“‘Why do I care?’” He asked tightly, parroting back what she said. She just stopped herself asking if he had a hearing problem. He looked away from her suddenly, a series of words in some other language tripping off of his tongue. He looked like he was going to ruin something, and it was testament to how much she trusted him that she was most worried about the dresser. Just when she thought he was going to start ripping holes in the wall he stopped and let out a slow breath.  Loki shook his head and turned back to her with an exasperated expression. He spoke slowly, and she didn’t know if he was trying to make it clear in his head or hers. “I am fond of you.” He said finally, his green eyes serious as they looked into her. Darcy just stared at him, trying to contain the hysteria that was clinging to her chest.

“ _Fond_ of me?” Darcy asked, voice high. Loki let out a breath through his nose, what little patience he had wearing very thin.

“Yes. Fond of you, I understand english can be a struggle for you sometimes, but it is only three words.” Darcy didn’t even have the energy to roll her eyes at him, she was still trying to understand what was happening. She resisted putting her head in her hands and laugh/crying. Loki swore again, looking away before swinging his head back to her, apparently trying a different tactic. “What do you see our relationship as?” He asked, and Darcy froze, eyes like saucers as she tried to pinpoint when this conversation had turned into a rom-com.

“We’re not in a relationship.” Darcy replied carefully, panic lacing her words. There was this nervous feeling in her palms, and she wanted to gag him or something, for once in the least sexual way, just to stop more crazy coming out.

“No, but we still have one.” He stared at her, and she pulled out of herself long enough to give him an answer.

“We fuck.” Darcy said shakily and Loki rolled his eyes at her.

“That is not all we do.” 

“It’s the only thing we do I enjoy.” Darcy replied, Loki raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well then you are missing out, I have many other talents.” He replied, not even a hint of innuendo.  And _what_? Darcy didn’t even know how to process this. Thoughts of him painting crockery into her head and she didn’t know how to deal.

“Like pissing me off?” Darcy asked, trying to keep the hope out of her voice, because she did not like the way this was going one bit. He shot her a look, and the heat of it reminded Darcy he was still angry at her. He seemed almost as pained by the conversation as she was except obviously not, because he was _still talking_.

“I enjoy your company and not only in the bedroom.” _Holy shit holy shit holy shit._ Her heart had started to do that jumpy thing it did, and she wasn’t quick enough to run before he got his next words out. “I consider us to be friends.” He said simply, and Darcy nearly choked on air. 

“Friends?” She asked in disbelief. Darcy wondered how she could feel so relieved and panicky at the same time. She would have been laughing, but he was deadly serious.

“Why not?” He demanded, and Darcy didn’t even know where to start.

“Because….. we’re fucking.” She said finally.

“So we cannot like each other?” He asked, angry and baffled. Darcy stared at him. _Yes exactly_ , she thought. _Does he get it now?_ But he was watching her, waiting for some sort of answer to his question, and she really didn’t know how to spell it out to him. His face was still flushed from the fighting, and it was maybe the first time she had seen such genuine confusion on it. Darcy looked away, stood up.

“Whatever. This is stupid, can we just get on with it?” She started taking off her clothes, hoping in vain that he would get distracted enough to _stop talking_. “Whatever punishment you were planning. Lets just do it.” Her shirt fell to the floor, and she was bending over to take off her bottoms when he spoke, his words careful.

“I like you Darcy, and I do not like many people.” His voice was firm, and she only stuttered slightly in undressing.

“Great, gold star for me. On my back or my front? Me I mean, not the star.” She mumbled, down to just her bra as she started folding her clothes just for something to do. He was silent in front of her, watching as she felt her heart rate pick up. She felt twitchy, irritated, and desperate for them to be doing anything else.

“Look at me.” He demanded, and she tried to fight it, really did, but his voice was all steel and honey and Darcy had never been good at ignoring his orders. She slowly let her clothes drop to the floor, crossing her arms as she looked at him. His face was a mix of emotions, and she couldn’t tell if he was furious or just frustrated.  It was testament to how angry he was that he didn’t even give her a once over. His jaw ticked before he finally spoke.

“Us being friends does not mean anything, except that…. we are friends.” His eyes were burning into hers, and all the fucking _emotions_ she could see in them made her want to hurl. Darcy wanted to believe him. To think that it could be that simple. That they could fuck, and be friends and she could keep herself separate from it being anything more. 

But calling what they had friendship? Right then? It felt like describing the stars as shiny lights. Darcy was about to say something -fuck knows what- when Loki let out a breath through his nose. He looked down, and for a moment, Darcy saw the man Thor was always talking about. He looked lost, and there was a flash of desperation there. She felt stunned by the suddenness of him being vulnerable to her. Then it was gone, and he looked back at her, face determined again.

“We could be friends,” His eyes sought hers, boring into them. “If you let us.” Like it was her stopping them from going out for coffee, and chatting about tv shows. Not that he was a fucking prisoner and she was essentially using sex to keep him in line. That she didn’t already think about him far too much outside of work, caught up on a man she _knew_ held nothing good for her. But his face, the one he was wearing then, so strong but with a tiny wash of pleading in his eyes, was destroying her. It was making her want to give him anything that he asked, as if she didn’t do that already. _Maybe it would be better if we were friends_ she thought. _Friends can care about each other. They can think about each other. Friends don’t have to pull away when they get too close._ She took a shaky breath and wondered if giving herself a barrier would stop her falling.

“Ok.” She said quietly, feeling a flush take over her as she looked at him. Her heart in her mouth, she watched as his face relaxed.

“Ok?” He asked, somewhat cautiously, and Darcy tried not to smile at how stupid this sounded.

“We can be friends.” She said, feeling like they were kids in a playground. Except the way he was watching her, all possessive and need, was nothing like a kid. 

“Good.” He said finally, and she hated the way the happiness in his eyes made her melt, made a smile stretch on her lips. “Friends.” He repeated, warmth flowing from him, and she looked away to try and clutch back some sort of control. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it’s not clear, part of the reason he’s so angry with her is because he’s been given this opportunity to look at transport to the BiFrost, so could figure out a way to not be trapped anymore but instead his head is all full of Darcy. :3


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of a double update, so make sure to check out the chapter before if you’ve missed it. I was thinking - fuck, why do I write so much porn? And then it was like - umm because the people you write are both horny, and unable to deal with emotions beyond having some part of their body in each other.
> 
> This came from me basically hating to get compliments. And I was like - what would make me better at taking compliments? Probably having Loki in between my legs saying them. You’re welcome.

* * *

 

 

 

“Sit on the bed.” He ordered gently, and she did, worried at how fast her heart was racing. Loki reached down to pick up her clothes from the floor, setting them aside on his drawers. The careful way he did it made her flush, and she hated that she was already so vulnerable. That a small act of kindness, that he probably didn’t even realise he was doing, was wrecking her. 

He walked back to her, and she tried to pull herself together, wanting whatever punishment he was going to give, because at least that she knew how to deal with. Nothing cleared her head better than following orders. But then he knelt in front of her, his body between her legs as she sat on the bed, and Darcy didn’t know what to do. She felt stunned by it. _He’s submitting?_ She thought. Except the way his eyes held hers, all confidence, power and owning, it felt like she was the one on her knees.

“What are you doing?” Darcy asked carefully, wondering why her voice was so small. She resisted the urge to pull him up, to make him _take_ her. He moved his hands, grabbing her ankles firmly, squeezing them before sliding his hands up her legs.

“Showing you your worth.” He said simply, and she felt herself flush. To her relief, he looked away from her face, instead turning his attention to her body. She was spread legged, beads of dampness visible even through the thatch hair between her legs. Loki hardly gave it a glance, instead his eyes roamed her whole body, hands stroking her legs. Hers were fisted in the sheet next to her, and one of his hands came up, catching one of them. He bought it to his mouth, placing a kiss to her palm, and she felt like a fool because her heart skipped. Loki was looking at her - really seeing her in that way that made her feel unstable, but she couldn’t look away.

He dropped her hand, moving his to brush under her knee, and the way his eyes were, Darcy felt _cherished_. As if she were the god, and he was devout. Her heart was hurting because he wasn’t even trying to hide it, his face so open to her. There was no mask, or cover, just his feelings right there for her to accept. Intense wanting, and something _more_. This could not be _friendship_. It was unlike anything she had ever known. It was lightening and lust and certainty, and she tried to cling to the fact that this had to mean less on Asgard, because there was no way she could deal with this being anything more. 

She wanted to tell him she wasn’t worth the way he was looking at her, like she hung the moon and painted the sky. That he couldn’t wear his face like that and expect her to accept it. The hand on her leg, his eyes on her- it was _more_ than just sexual. It was affecting her, making her feel happy and nervous, and Darcy wondered when she let herself get so weak to him. If he even realised how much she was letting him see.

He lent forward then, hand stroking up her thigh as he moved his head to her stomach. Loki pressed his lips there, just above her belly button, closed mouth but gentle and she let out a shaky breath. Darcy scrunched up her eyes because it was insane, but she was close to using her safe word. And all he had done was stroke her leg and kiss her. She was strung out, and emotional, and completely unable to deal with it. Shouting she could take, pain she actively enjoyed, but this, this _care._ It was ruining her. 

He moved back, hair brushing against her stomach, and Darcy felt breathless. His hands were under her thighs now, and without warning he lifted her. Darcy yelped, gripped onto his shoulders for dear life as he walked back over the bed. His arms were firm under her, and when he stopped, he lowered her down slowly to her knees, meeting her eyes. Loki pushed her back, crawling over her body so he covered her. He was pressed into her, and she would have wanted him bare chested, but just the feeling of him over her was something else. He kissed her, wet lips brushing against her dry ones until he pushed past them with his tongue. He had her arms, she didn’t know when that happened, and he moved them above her head. Holding her wrists in one hand, his other slid into her hair. He grabbed a handful and her mouth opened wider on a moan before he smothered it with his.

Loki was grinding, moving his hips against her, his whole body shifting as he kissed her like he couldn’t help but do it. She could feel his erection between them, rubbing against her inner thigh, and she wanted to slide her legs around him but she was pinned. He pulled away, hot breath against her face as he looked at her. He rolled his hips again, watching the way her eyes fluttered, a growl crawling out of his throat. Darcy moaned as he shifted again, dropping his face to kiss a sweet spot behind her ear. He was holding her head still, hand in her hair and every time he pulled it she saw stars. His voice was all heat when he spoke into her ear.

“Tell me what you like about yourself.” He ordered, and it took her a moment, his lips brushing lower down her neck, to realise he’d spoken.

“What Sir?” She asked, eyes springing open in alarm. She felt his hair tickling her chest as he pressed his mouth, hot and open, to her collar bone. She arched against him and he pulled away with a wet sound.

“Forget the Sir.” He kissed her neck again. “Things that you like about yourself.” And she hadn’t heard that wrong. Darcy was confused, her mind not really paying attention to anything except the way he felt against her.

“What?” She huffed out, frustrated and he bit down on her collar bone, making her gasp. It hurt, but it was intense. The feeling getting bigger and bigger, and just before it became too much he stopped. Her skin tingled as he pulled away, and she was gasping because the made her feel _calm_. Like she could shut out everything else but him. Loki groaned at her reaction, running his nose along her throat before laying a gentle kiss there.

“That is not a thing that you like about yourself.” He said finally, and she felt a sudden spike of irritation. A need to piss him off and make him hurt her again.

“What is this, a job interview?” She snapped, and waited for the bite. Instead he stopped kissing her, leaning back to stare at her intently. His annoyance, anger and fucking _disapproval_ rolled towards her, and it was embarrassing how much she wanted to squirm. It made her feel like a child, small and useless, like he was biting right into the sensitive parts of herself she wanted to hide. She wanted to curl up, cover herself in sharp bits and turn the world away. Stop him from getting too close. Close enough that if he said things about her, cruel things, they would actually hurt. They would stick, and burrow and break parts of her that had no business being broken. 

She looked away, and he did bite her then, a too sharp thing that had her eyes whipping back to his.  Darcy was resisting with her very bones, and she couldn’t even say why it made her so uncomfortable, but it did. “I don’t want to.” She said quietly, annoyed at the pleading in her voice. She had to look away again then, not wanting to see whatever was going on on his face. Loki moved his hand from her hair, grabbing her jaw roughly until she met his eyes.

“Who is making the rules here Darcy?” He growled and she felt something unfurl in her stomach at the noise.

“You.” She said breathlessly.

“So does it matter what you want to do?” His eyes were boring into her and she couldn’t even look away.

“I’ll use my safe word.” She said defiantly, trying not to look as desperate as she felt. Lokis’ face did not change.

“If you require it. But in that case you will not be coming tonight.” Darcy felt anger bubble up in her. She hated never hated him topping her as much as then. The thought of doing without him, his lips, his hands, his cock, made her furious.

“I can always touch myself.” Darcy growled, and tried to believe she would.

“No,” Loki said, and it was all order. “you can’t.” Darcy took in a breath, her heart speeding up and wetness building between her legs. _Fuck._ She thought, watching as he saw her acceptance. He released her jaw, running his hand down her body as he murmured some words to tie her hands above her head. She didn’t even try and move against the ropes that had appeared, instead watched as he pulled his shirt off before his pants. His legs were either side of her thighs and he kept them closed as he trapped her. He ran his eyes over her body appreciatively. She was staring back at him, the pale muscle of his chest right in front of her. His dick was hard, pre-come dripping out of the top, and she briefly wondered what it would take to get him to let her lick it off. He murmured something, and there was a rush of air as her bra disappeared, landing on the floor next to them. Her nipples were pebbled and his eyes felt electric where they graze her body. 

“A thing you like about yourself.” Loki demanded, not looking away. Darcy felt her mouth go dry, her body flushing as she tried to think. He still didn’t touch her, and she knew he wouldn’t until she spoke.

“My tits.” Darcy finally got out, watching as his eyes fell to them. He moved forward, eyes flicking up to her before she watched his tongue dash out and lick her nipple. He smiled at her, a wicked thing, before taking it into his mouth. He sucked on her breast, hot and slow before dragging his teeth over the bud. She gasped, pulled against the ropes as he released it. In between gentle licks he spoke again.

“Another.” His voice was low, satisfied, and she felt a spike of irritation. When she still hadn’t answered after a few seconds he pulled back, watching her. Darcy let out a frustrated huff and thought for a moment

“I like my lips.” Darcy said, and Loki looked at them, hummed in approval. He leant back over her, one arm supporting himself as the other traced it’s way down her body. He kissed her, long and slow, and she gasped as she felt his hand dip between her legs.

“Which ones?” He asked, fingers stroking the lips there. He was giving just the lightest of touches, and Darcy started to think maybe this game wasn’t so bad after all. He kissed her again, hand circling the entrance of her pussy before she realised she hadn’t answered.

“Both.” She said and he kissed her harder, dipping a finger suddenly into her before rubbing the juices over her clit. Darcy moaned, her skin felt hot and sensitive, and he ran his hand up her side. Just a light touch, the right side of ticklish. He gripped her waist firmly, thumb rubbing against her skin.

“Another.” He said and she tried to scrabble for something- anything that would make him carry on.

“My ass is nice.” She said, and could practically feel his hands on it already. Loki swore, buried his face into her neck to let out a shaky breath as he gripped her waist tighter. She could feel his cock pressed up against her, knew this was as difficult for him to keep stopping as it was for her.

“Not just your body Darcy.” He finally spoke, voice rumbling against her skin. Darcy shivered, gripped the ropes above her head, because she was starting to feel on uneven footing again. She scrabbled for something, anything to get him back to what he was doing.

“I’m funny?” She said weakly, and he lifted up to look at her. His face was flushed, hair mussed but he had a small smile tugging at his lips. He raised an eyebrow. 

“Is that a question?” He asked, eyes dropping down to watch her lips when she spoke. 

“I’m funny.” She said, firmer this time. She at least made herself laugh. He moved then, kissing her once, hard, before moving down her body, settling with his head between her legs. She felt her belly tense, tight and his hands came up to grab her boobs. He had a handful of each, rubbing his rough thumbs over the nipples as she felt his breath against her pussy.  

“Carry on.” He said, his voice shaky, and at least he was as wrecked as she was. She wet her lips, wracked her brain for something.

“I can make cakes. Well.” She finished, and after a second Loki seemed to accept that, finally pressed his wet mouth to her. Darcy almost moaned at the first touch of his tongue, definitely did when he licked up to her clit. He was licking her fast, almost desperate, hands pinching her nipples and she was twisting against the ropes because it was building up so fast. He pulled away, nipped at her inner thigh and Darcy remember to speak.

“I can knit.” She said, it was the first thing to pop into her head, and it was something she liked about herself so technically it counted. Loki didn’t seem to mind it, judging by the way his mouth went straight back onto her. She arched up into his mouth, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt the first sparks between her legs.

“More.” He demanded roughly, sucking at her inner thigh. Darcy gasped, tried to will herself closer before he pulled back. Her skin was prickly with heat, and she wanted to just come already. She didn’t want to think about whatever the fuck he was saying. “Darcy.” He said again and she rolled her face to the side frustrated.

“I can’t. There isn’t anything else.” She said and _felt_ his chest rumble between her legs.

“We both know that is untrue.” He said, his voice angry. She didn’t know what to say, was confused by how angry he was. Darcy wanted to curl away but now he had lifted up and was looking at her, demanding something that she didn’t want to give. She was trying to think of something, anything, but she struggled with finding the good points of herself when she wasn’t fuck drunk anyway. Her mouth opened a couple of times, trying to force something out but she was drawing a blank. Lokis’ face was getting if anything tenser, and she felt embarrassed for some reason. Shamed under his scrutiny, and she shifted, ground her hips just centimetres from his face. Loki actually _bared his teeth_ at her, a warning that sent shivers up her spine and she stilled, the throbbing between her legs somehow increasing. She felt a drop of fluid travel down her thigh, saw Loki follow it with his eyes. She watched him take a slow breath and drag his eyes back to hers. He didn’t move and she wanted to cry in frustration.  

“Can’t you just fuck me?” Darcy asked impatiently. 

“Not until you see your worth.” He got out, frustration in every word and she was so fucking tired of whatever this was. Her body was tight and hot, skin itching and all she wanted was a little relief.

“Why does it matter if I don’t? Why does it matter?” She asked angrily, and watched him stare back at her. They glared at each other, and she hated the way she could feel tears at the edge of her eyes. Because she didn’t understand any of this. His sudden caring. This was not a Loki she knew how to handle. He was trying to what - make her feel better about herself? It was too close to something else and she wanted to know why he was doing it, just as much as she didn’t. Loki looked away, moved his hands off of her, and she watched him clench his jaw in frustration. She was starting to wonder if he had a good reason at all when he spoke. 

“I am going to tell you what I like about you. And you are going to listen.” He shifted up then, moving up until his body was over hers. “And you are going to believe me.” 

“No.” She said, tried to pull at the ties above her head. She knew it was useless, knew the only way to stop would be to use her safe word.

“Do you want to come?” He demanded, face above hers. He rolled his hips once, wet dick rubbing against her slit and both of them groaned. “Then listen.” Lokis’ voice was gravel, and Darcy had to hold back her safe word. She already felt cracked open, but the need to come was singing in her blood, pushing down her self-preservation. He seemed to see something in her face, comprehend that his eyes being on hers would be too much. Understanding flashed there, as well as something else, and then he moved quickly, flipping her over until she was face down on the bed. Darcy gasped, felt him slip his fingers through her hair, pulling her head back as his hand slipped between her legs. His fingers slid straight into her, and her mouth fell open as she felt it brush her clit. 

“You are beautiful.” He said, and then his dick was in her. She scrunched her eyes to block out the words, but then he was sliding into her with shallow thrusts that opened her right up. “And kind.” Loki continued, pressing a warm kiss to her shoulder. She shivered, and his shallow thrusts went a little deeper.  “You are brave, and selfless.” Darcy was trying to tune him out, to focus on the feeling of him, but his words were cutting through. She was trying to fight the way they filled her heart and bones, the happy warmth they stoked under her skin. His hand left sparks along her body and she felt white heat between her legs, desperate for him to fuck her, to treat her like shit. Do something but the slow, gentle _kindness_ that kept the air from her lungs.

“You are not stupid.” He growled, hips thrusting into her, and he bottomed out. She was stretched tight, her head fighting what her body was trying to surrender to. “Do you think I am foolish?” He asked, and she managed to get out a word on a moan.

“No.” Because no one could ever call him that. She was so close, body so ready but her brain wasn’t letting her let go. Wasn’t able to give up on protecting herself. The sweet stretch of him made her bite her lip.

“That I would gain anything from this?” He asked, sounding as wrecked as she felt, and all she could do was shake her head. “Then why would I lie?” He demanded. She didn’t have the strength to tell him that she didn’t think he was, that _that_ was what was ruining her. He pushed into her again, dragging his length inside her and she tensed, gripped him tight before shattering. He pushed her through it, slipping his hand down to rub her clit as she clenched around him. She remembered to breathe, each time the heat spreading through her body as she rode out the orgasm. The hand in her hair tightened before letting go.

“Believe me.” He growled, and his body tensed as he spilled into her. Darcy was still hot all over, and as he stopped pumping he kissed down her back, the ropes falling from her wrists. “Believe me.” His words were as soft as the kisses against her skin, and if she didn’t know better she would have said it sounded like pleading. “Believe me.” He said, and she hated that she did.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

He had untied her, and they were laying on the bed, her head against his chest, boneless against him. She felt worn out, but also - like she didn’t have to worry about anything. It was weird. She told herself that this was friendship. Maybe not normal friendship, but friendship with Loki. Nothing to worry about, certainly nothing worth ending their fucking over. He said himself, this didn't mean any thing, it was just what being friends with him was like. She could handle that. So she let herself relax into it, to settle, and he must of noticed something because he pressed a distracted kiss against her head. It was still light outside, even though it was gone midnight, the sun only dipping down for a few hours this time of year. She was stroking his arm where it lay wrapped around her, fingers tickling against the soft hairs. He had pulled the sheet over both of them, and she was amazed he hadn’t complained about them yet. He was reading again, getting a book from somewhere, and she laced her hand through his. ‘Why did you do this?’ She wanted to ask again, but stopped herself. Part of her wondered if even he knew why.

“We’re friends right?” She said instead, feeling the thumb brushing against her knuckles still. She felt him move, putting down the book to give her his full attention. She could feel green eyes burning into the back of her head.

“Yes.” He replied finally, voice warm. She considered her next words carefully, looking up at the ceiling.

“So you decided to compliment me?” She asked lightly, trying to get through how fucking weird that was.

“Yes.” He answered simply, and she could practically hear the smile in his voice.

“Can you not do it again?” She asked. His body stiffened and Darcy panicked, wondering if she’d gone too far. Then his chest was shaking, and for one panicky moment she thought he was _crying_. Her head whipped round in alarm to look at his face, and Loki had one hand over it, body shaking from laughter. She stared at him, bewildered, but trying to fight the smile on her own face.

“Perhaps I will aggressively compliment you every time we have sex.” He said around laughter, and she pinched one of his nipples. Loki yelped, frowning at her which made her snort. When she’d stopped finding his pain hilarious she spoke.

“Don’t do that.” Her voice was serious, but Loki just started laughing again. She went to pinch the other nipple but he grabbed her hand. Darcy squirmed, tried with the other hand but just ended up trapped. He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. She tried not to be too dazzled back. His smile slowly faded and he spoke.

“Don’t put yourself down.” His voice wasn’t an order, but it still made her still like one. “You are more than just your body and I wish you would see that.” He was almost begging her with his eyes, and she wanted to tell him that it wasn't that easy. That some habits lasted so long they became a part of you. “If you try and do that,” He continued, releasing her hands and smiling slightly. “I will keep my thoughts to myself. We have an agreement?” He asked, and she used her free hands to absentmindedly smooth the hair from his face. 

“I'll try.” She said gently, biting her lip and tucking his hair behind his ear. He rumbled in approval, curled his arms around her again and she had to hide a smile on his skin. They stayed like that for a minute, and Darcy realised she was starting to fall asleep. She blearily tried to open her eyes, thought about moving when he spoke.

“Sleep here tonight,” His voice was gentle, and he added with a smile. “But I would prefer it if you refrained from dribbling on me again.” She bit him lightly and he chuckled, picking up his book again. She huffed and got comfortable on his chest.

“No promises.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always saw BDSM as trusting your partner enough to let them push you. Darcy has a choice through all of this to use her safe word, and trusts him enough that he would stop if she did. Loki doesn’t like the way she puts herself down, and can’t just be like a normal person and say ‘ hey, I like you, I wish you weren’t so mean to yourself’. He’s doing the best that he can, and he's lucky she's deluding herself with the 'friends thing' because otherwise she would be running from him and her feelings like she was on fire.  
> If it seems OOC for Loki to be so emotional with her, I figure it's because he really doesn't believe he's capable of love, so he's not worried about being all emotional. He doesn't see his feelings as a problem, because in his head their not going to get any more intense (silly boy)
> 
> Next Time: Back home, late night bedroom appearances, and what them being friends really means.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shitty news first - I’ve just found out I’m leaving again for work. For seven months (ish). To a place with non-existent internet and a massive workload. I don’t know when I’m going but it’ll be soon. This is probably my last update until I get back which is so shitty, but hell. I will be back, I can promise that, and hopefully I’ll be able to finish it when I am.
> 
> Better news- You guys are actually my favourite. Everyone who reads, leaves kudos and especially comments thank you so much. Your words are so awesome, and it keeps me motivated to know theres other kinky people out there like me :D

* * *

 

 

It was late, a Sunday night, and Loki was pacing in the lab. Intently. During the trip to Sweden he had managed to piece together the bonds that held him. It would simply be some trial and error before he could circumvent them, and then he would be as he was for centuries before- Back to full power and blissfully free of Midgard. This should make him happy. It should fill him with something other than whatever was clawing at his stomach and putting far too much energy into his twisting hands. The issue was not the fact he would be able to free himself, it was the other thing that seemed to tether him. Darcy. 

Sweden had changed things. She had called her self stupid, for the umpteenth time and whatever self control he had managed from after Coulsons' conversation had dissolved into the sort of anger that felt like fire in his heart. After work he had tried to explain to her. Clearly, and as simply as he could manage, his issue with the situation. It might not have been all the kind or well-put but at that point in time doing anything but tying her to the bed and _making her understand_ felt diplomatic. He had been furious. Blinded by the sound of blood in his ears, and then she had asked him’Why?’. Why did he care? With such confusion and concern on her face, like it couldn’t be possible for him to care for her. He had never known so much infuriation to come in the form of a wilfully ignorant midgardian. But he had tried to calm down, tried to explain to her and himself why what they had mattered. Why she mattered. 

And now they were friends. Loki hadn’t had many of those growing up, even fewer now, so his determination that what he and Darcy were doing should be considered friendship was a surprise to them both. He didn’t completely understand where it had come from, but the need to give them a name so she would finally accept his care without feeling overrode every thing else. He knew lies, knew that when he said they were friends it wasn’t one. But it didn't feel like the truth either. 

He hadn’t expected it, or the way she had blanched at the word, as if the idea of them getting along was so damn near laughable that she couldn’t comprehend. And then he had fucked her, tried to make her see in words she didn’t want to hear, exactly how much she could mean to someone. Not him, obviously, but someone else. Loki had laid in that bed afterwards, holding her as he read, and felt her grow tenser in his arms. He understood her, so well that without any reason but her comfort he put down the book and started talking to her. He had talked to her about Thor, whispered stories of their childhood into chestnut hair as she calmed down. She didn’t ask him why, simply tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes until she fell asleep.  He could have picked any other subject, any other part of himself to share with her if he had the urge. So why that? And even when she fell asleep, Loki could have stopped then. But it had felt too much like a spell, as if his words were keeping her calm and safe and warm in his arms. 

In the morning Darcy had pulled on her clothes hardly even complaining that he had turned her brassiere green, and kissed him chastely before sneaking back to her own bedroom. It had been sweet. She had seemed almost nervous as she did it, like after all they had shared that small kiss was too intimate for her. That day had thankfully been more productive than the first. He was much more able to focus, even with Darcy distracting him. It seemed that they had both needed that night. And then, on the return flight to Sweden, he had found himself drowsy, or simply too bored to fight sleep. He had awoken, with a warm blanket around him and one of the few midgardian drinks he could stomach on the table in front of him. He looked up to Darcy, but she was steadfastly ignoring his gaze. He had to fight his smile as he drank the hot chocolate.

Of course, when he had to visit the restroom he saw the ugly moustache she had drawn on his face. After a second of in fact confirming that he looked good in anything, he resisted the urge to use magic to produce a real one as punishment to her, and wiped it off. He allowed Darcy that, retribution for the fact he would then be turning _all_ of her underwear green. It had been easy, the rest of the flight, and they had returned to New York to the revelation that it was a Friday, and therefore he wouldn’t see her until the next week. As she grabbed her suitcase and shot him a look goodbye, he realised there was an unsettling feeling over him.

She was starting to feel essential. As in, he could not do without her. It was an unacceptable realisation. Loki needed to find a way to stop it. To remove himself from this sudden, intense feeling of _being less_ without her. So he came up with a plan. Nothing would prove he could do without her like doing without her. He would find a way to leave and then leave. Simple. He unclenched his hands, unsure as to when they became fists. He had a plan. A path to follow, and so he started furiously searching his notes from Sweden. He tried not to focus on the way most of him was fighting it, keeping him from his full potential with thoughts of warm curves and testing smiles. Loki shook his head and concentrated. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, pushing her out of his head to focus on breaking free.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Darcy was in her bedroom, dressed in a long t-shirt and nothing else. Laying back on her bed, she was listening to her iPod plugged in next to her. The sound playing from it was all low bass and gravely voices kicked by a synth background that normally sounded like a lullaby. Maybe it would have been relaxing, but her head was filled with all the things she wasn’t thinking about.

She was ignoring Sweden, or specifically that night in Sweden. It was a write off in her head, a no good, bad time that she didn't need to dwell on or think about at all if she could help it. His words, his touch had opened her up to a painful degree. It was like her guts were spilled out all over the floor, and she couldn’t even muster up the decency to close her coat. But Loki saw it and he didn’t run. He didn’t reach in and twist, even with such an easy target. Instead, he got out his own knife, sliced open his own skin a little so she didn’t feel quite as vulnerable. It was insanity, it went against everything she had seen of Loki so far. Except it didn’t. With her he was different, kinder, warmer. This made her feel warmer and also like she was falling into icy water. Darcy was trying to convince herself that by not acknowledging it, it didn’t happen. It was not working.

Because she knew it wasn’t friendship. After being convinced by Loki that she wasn’t stupid, it was only to recognise that it wasn’t stupidity allowing her to get closer to him. It was the same thing that had kept her creeping towards him when she should have been taking a job somewhere else. Sliding her hand into his when she should have been looking for knives in the other one. It might not be love, but it was dangerously close to it. It made her feel giddy, and happy and sick and _everything_. Like she wanted to take all of her breaths again, just with him by her side. She could not comprehend the enormity of that. 

Helpless. That was the only word Darcy could think of to describe whatever was going on in her head. She knew this wasn’t friendship, knew he wasn’t fooled by his own words. But every time she tried to do the sensible thing and shield herself from the walking hand grenade that was letting your heart open up to someone, he looked at her. Or smiled. Or told her something from his past that let her see the man he was, could be. And she was helpless. So completely wrecked by these parts of himself he was showing that she couldn’t pull herself away. She couldn’t listen to the screams of danger in her head because he looked at her so plainly. No agenda, no tricks just him and his feelings, right there on his face. And knowing who he was, what he did, it made it irresistible. He wasn’t naive, unmarked or foolish. He was scarred, and broken and too sharp for anyone to hold too close. So it meant the world that he would let her in. He was not stupid enough to show himself so easily, so the fact that he was giving her _anything_ , let alone trying to care for her, it was impossible to turn away from. And was it fucked up, that when they were around other people she felt some sick pride in the way he was different? The way his face was closed off and guarded, keeping them back to where he let her in. She knew she was fucked, or at least would have if she let herself think about it too hard. Her heart was beating fast, and she knew the feeling, wondered why no-one told her falling in love could feel so much like a series of small panic attacks.

Love. She hadn’t really believed in it before. She was never a romantic. Never one to want people too badly, to want to curl up with someone, have them _know her_. But he had done that, without her even realising, and now it was already too late because she had shown her hand. Sure, he had shown his first, given them a convenient name to try and keep them both to their corners but it wasn’t the same though. Because to him she really was just his fucking friend. But to her- he was everything she didn’t need but couldn’t get enough of. All Netflix binges, and poptarts, and soft hands stroking up her calf while sincere words filled her ears. Stuff that she had no business wanting with such ferociousness.

She knew she could leave, knew she would with good enough reason. But she wouldn’t be unscathed, couldn’t run away clean. There would be tiny cuts all over, scratches and scars from the hands that had pushed her, or held her back. He would change her, had changed her already, and she hated that it seemed to be for the better, because she didn’t even have that excuse to cling to. Or maybe he would leave, maybe he would get bored of her and finally push her away. The thought made face feel tight, stretched and nervous, and this wasn’t what she had signed up for. Darcy didn’t know if she could take that, his interest slowly dimming until she was nothing more than her job description to him. If he ever looked at her with _nothing_ , she felt she would break. That was the worst thing, she could feel all of it coming, hated her own lack of self preservation for letting her get this close, let alone keeping her there. The most hilarious thing was that Loki was the one telling her to take care of herself. To see the value in her mind and skin, and run from the things that could harm her. As if he wasn’t the biggest danger she would ever face. Like he couldn’t rip her skin to ribbons with a hard word to a soft place. Because as awful as it was, she already knew whatever they had was worth the way it would end. _He_ was worth the absolute devastation of whatever was coming.

She had worked, without meaning to, to make him shed his spiky coat. To make him show her the man underneath the horns and it was overwhelming. It was too much, too much like dominating him, the rush of him being open to her. The trust he was giving her, they were giving each other was gentle kisses behind her ear, and soft smiles in the early morning. It was the feeling of sunshine on her skin in summer, warm, golden and just fucking fantastic. The thought of living without it wrecked her. Darcy suddenly wanted to cry for some reason. She didn’t feel sad, she just felt- An excess of feelings. Thats probably what Loki would say. Or some sarky comment about hysteria he didn’t really mean but would say to piss her off. She almost smiled at the thought, but she was still trying not to think about things, so instead she scrunched her eyes, trying to block out the sunshine. 

Minutes, or hours later Darcy finally risked the light, opening her eyes and wondering idly if it would be a bad idea to start drinking. Of course, thats when Loki appeared in her bedroom. It wasn’t in a flash, or anything so dramatic. Instead she blinked, and there was suddenly a man in her room. She did not scream, ten points to her, but Darcy might have scurried up the bed in shock. She may also have grabbed her bedside lamp as a weapon. And then thrown it until, tied to the wall by the cord, it smashed on the floor next to her. When the man didn’t even flinch, she realised it was Loki, wearing the same look of surprise and confusion she was. Of course, he was also wearing very tight leather pants and a silk green shirt the made her fingers itch. Her heart pounding in her ears, she didn't even make an attempt to stop the was she was eye fucking him.

“Hello.” He said, and Darcy could see a flush on his cheeks. He looked- embarrassed? She was trying not to focus on that and more on why the fuck he was in her bedroom, but flushed had always been a good look on him.

“You’re free?” She asked, relaxing now that she was sure it wasn’t a stranger in her bedroom. Of course, there was still a Loki, who shook his head.

“No. I-“ He started, and then stopped himself before waving his hand over and _through_ her bookcase. “This is a projection.” He finished, and she blinked a few times. That was weird, but it at least explained the clothes.

“Oh.” Darcy replied finally, because really, she was used to all the weird by now. The flush on his cheeks had faded and he took in her bedroom with interested eyes. She tried to covertly kick her dirty clothes under her bed.

“I am still trapped downstairs.” He said, smirking as he caught her kicking her clothes. Darcy glared back.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, and was more than satisfied when he looked away, that curious flush blooming on his cheekbones again. She felt her lips pull into a pleased smirk.

“I didn't mean to.” He said simply, walking away from her to look at the photos above her dresser.

“You didn’t mean to appear in my apartment?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, watching his back as he tilted to look closer. When he replied he sounded bored, as if the very act of talking to her was like watching paint dry.

“I was simply trying to project myself beyond the confines of my prison. I had no destination in mind.” Loki turned back to her, face free of any red and carefully blank. She smiled deviously, a flash, before biting her lip and crawling over the bed to look up at him.

“Thinking about me were you?” She asked, all lust and mischief, watching as he got flustered. “Friend.” She said pointedly, smiling wider. Darcy watched him fight with himself, loved and hated that he trusted her enough to let her see.

“Who is this?” He asked suddenly, turning to point at a picture of Ian and her in London. They were both smiling up at the camera, his long arms perfect for the million selfies she had taken. It was a poor attempt at diverting the conversation, that she followed only because it gave her a better view of his projected ass.

“Ian.” She replied absentmindedly, watching the way the tight leather gripped him. He turned back with a frown, and she wondered if she could convince him to project this outfit on for the lab. Because she that would really, really motivate her.

“Ian?” He asked, voice frosty.

“A guy from London.” She replied, moving so she was sitting up on the bed. 

“You were dating?” He asked, carefully disinterested and she replied before she even thought about it.

“No, I don’t do-“ Relationships she wanted to say, but the word caught in her throat and it took her right back to all of the things about him, about their ‘friendship’ that she was desperately working to ignore. Something must have shown on her face, because he was watching her even more closely, measuring his words before he spoke.

“What is wrong?” Loki asked, and Darcy took off her glasses, polished them so she’d have an excuse not to meet his eye.

“Nothing.” She said quietly, really not wanting to even start talking to him about it. She could see him bristle, feel him building up to ask another question so she spoke again. “I’m just…. thinking too much.” Darcy explained, putting her glasses on just in time to see him glaring at her. 

“About Ian?” He asked, voice low and buzzy with possession. She always knew he would be jealous, and part of her wanted to tap that vein until it struck sexy gold, but she was still too inside her own head. Knew that particular line would come with questioning. Darcy rolled her eyes, shaking her head softly no. He opened his mouth to speak again, and this time, she couldn’t take any soul baring.

“Distract me.” She said quickly, watching his face to see if he would take the bait. He stilled, narrowed his eyes for a second, and she saw him pull his curiosity back. Rein in the part of him that wanted to trample over her own wishes and get to the source. She allowed herself to look a bit pleading, because that was exactly what he was into.

“How?” He asked, and that word was warm hands pulling her closer to the fire. She looked down at her sheets, fingers tracing the patterns, nervous excitement sending sparks to her palms.

“Talk to me.” She requested simply, and she didn’t have to look up to see him frown.

“An Asgardian tale to help you sleep?” He tried and she was already shaking her head no. She looked up at his green, sharp eyes again.

“No.” She said again, swallowing before emphasising her next words. “ _Talk_ to me.” And his face changed, suddenly lust and hunger mixed with the way a dog looked when it saw a treat. “Would you be into that?” She asked, knowing that her tastes might not be the same as his. Loki smiled in return, warm and wicked.

“Darcy, when it comes to you, I am hard pressed to find anything I am not ‘into’.” He said sincerely, and the words tingled on her skin. 

“‘Yes’, would have done.” Darcy replied sarcastically, failing to hide her own smile. Loki cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I have a word limit now?” He asked, the fact he was a projection doing nothing to stop her growing urge to sit on his face.

“If you’re going to waste them on being all fancy, then yeah.” She said, teeth nibbling at her lower lip to at least play at keeping it together.

“‘Yes’, would have sufficed.” He parroted, eyes watching her lips as he spoke. “And if you call three syllable words fancy, I may have to get you a dictionary.” He smiled wider and she dropped her lip, looking at him sincerely with too-wide eyes and a dopey look.

“I think you should. In fact, it’s amazing I can understand full sentences without one.” Darcy said and watched his face turned to an irritated frown.

“Thats not what I meant. You know that.” He chastised firmly and she wiggled a bit on the bed, dampness building between her legs. He was way to easy to piss off sometimes. 

“I do.” She said with a smile and Lokis’ lip twitched. She reached for her t-shirt, ready to take it off, not that it was doing that good a job of covering her anyway.

“Keep it on.” He ordered, and _this talking_ she could get behind. She smoothed down the hem with her hand instead, watching his eyes as he watched her. Darcy could feel the need to touch him, even though she knew it would just be air. Even as a projection he took up all the space in a room.

“Hey,” Darcy started playfully. “whose making the rules here?” Loki didn’t even blink, just walked over to the edge of her bed, waving a hand in the air as he spoke.

“Me. Obviously.” With a wave a chair suddenly appeared in front of the bed, although throne was probably a more accurate word. It was green and gold and huge, and he slid into it effortlessly, even in those tight trousers. He reclined back into it, looking so at home it unsettled her for a second. And then she watched the way his hand rested on his knee, the other one coming up to rub at his lip as he watched her, and another feeling altogether took over.

“It’s my bedroom.” Darcy said, her voice a little bit breathless. She had maybe just rediscovered her labyrinth induced kink for hot dudes on thrones.

“And?” He asked and she watched the thumb slip along his pink lower lip. She wondered if she could convince him to try eyeliner.

“My rules?” She tried lamely, and he laughed gently, smiled at her like she was adorable. Which might have made her feel a little bit giddy, but it also pissed her off. Darcy flipped him off, suddenly moving to lay back on the bed. She lay back against the headboard and spread her legs before him. Her t-shirt rode up, baring her wet pussy to him. Loki stilled, staring at the movement and a small groan coming out of his throat. She swallowed shakily, licked her lips as she watched his hand grip the arm of the throne. “Talk to me.” Darcy said, a little too close to begging, the first flickers of heat building under her fingertips.

“Perhaps I wish only to watch you.” Loki replied, and his dark eyes felt like touches where they grazed her skin. She let out this light sound at his words, the thought of him just watching her as she touched herself too much to keep it in. Her hands were shaky as she slid them over her thighs, fingers turned in to the crease of them. Loki was just watching her, and she wondered if she could keep up this stalemate long enough to get him to talk. He smirked, kept eye contact as he reached down and adjusted himself in the leather trousers. And she knew that he wasn’t really there, but watching him grip himself, right in front of her, made her nails drag against her skin deliciously. Her breath was starting to get a little uneven. He smiled wider, in that hungry satisfied way and gave in.

“You make the most beautiful sounds.” He started, and she let herself move, one hand tracing her outer lips while the other reached up. “All those gasps and moans.” He watched her as she grabbed her breast over her shirt. “Even sweeter when I’m fucking you.” Her hand spasmed, the other one breaching her lips to touch lightly at her clit. “Those little noises that get out even with my hand over your mouth.” She made one then, and his eyes flickered up, watching her lips with firm intensity. 

“You like that, being controlled. Being owned.” She felt electric, almost jittery being watched by him. It was so hot, so relentless and she felt exposed but not in the emotional way that she hated. This felt safe, but hot. Fucking in the dark, the feeling of not knowing what was coming next. He carried on, voice gravelly and she slid one of her fingers inside herself. “You like being trapped by me. Knowing that no matter how much you fight, I won’t let you go.” Her finger was pumping slowly, other hand giving up on touching herself over the shirt and just sliding under. Her fingernails scraped her nipple and Darcy felt her legs spasm. Loki leaned forward on the throne, eyes all black as they pinned her to the bed.

“You want that pretty little hole filled. Want me to keep you tight, and quiet, and doing whatever I want.” Her breath caught, and she dropped the hand cupping her breast, used it to flick her clit as she slid another finger in. “Hard,” He growled. “and fast and rough.” She was close, the finger on her clit moving faster as she ground down onto her hand. There were these little sparks shooting up her legs, and Loki, he was all heat and danger, watching her like he was _hungry_. Her legs clenched at the thought, her fingers sliding so easily in between her legs.

“Or maybe we should finally make use of my shower in the lab.” Darcy sped up, stomach coiled tight as he carried on. “All that hot wet skin. Sliding. My hands full of you, my cock pushing into you.” And fuck she could just see it already. His body crowding her, his strong arms pinning her to the tiled wall. Water running down both of them, and dammit if she hadn’t always had a thing for wet, warm skin. Her toes curled into the cover, and she could feel the heat right on the edge.“I want you to come Darcy. Right here, with me watching you.” A desperate sound came from her and she pushed herself faster, harder feeling the weight of him watching her. “Darcy.” He ordered, and she dragged her eyes up to his. “Come.” She wanted to look away, but his gaze was electric, pinning her to the bed as she rubbed her clit hard and came. Her legs were actually shaking, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut as an actual wave of euphoria hit her. She rode it out, her muscles spasming around her fingers. Her orgasm ended, sputtering out and she couldn’t even move, felt unable to do anything but get her breath back.

After a few minutes, Darcy finally opened her eyes, watching Loki as she pulled out her slick fingers and popped them into her mouth. She sucked on them gently, watching as his grip on the throne tightened and then released, his eyes seeming to glaze over. Her throat went dry as she realised why his concentration would be torn. “Are you jerking off?” She asked quietly, her voice wrecked by how devastatingly hot that would be. The double was still remarkably still, and she worried for a second that he wasn’t going to answer.

“Yes.” He managed to get out, voice monotone and with that she was off of the bed, her legs a little shaky.

“Fuck. Stop.” She said, searching the room for one fucking thing to wear.

“Why?” Loki asked, this time tense, and she realised with relief he had done what she asked.

“I want to watch. Don’t come.” His jaw fell slightly, eyes glazing over for a moment before he closed them. Darcy was nearly dressed, hands a bit shaky from the orgasm as she tried to button her jeans. “I’ll be down in two minutes.” She mumbled as she scraped her hair back into a ponytail. 

“Not good enough.” She heard him say, and then the projection was up and reaching towards her, and she didn’t know what he expected was going to happen but- and then she was in his bedroom. In the lab. It took her a moment but she realised what he’d done. She moved her hand down and hand the very strange experience of watching it go through her torso. And maybe she would have been mad, or at least a little freaked out but at that moment Loki let out a low moan from where he was laying on the bed in front of her. It was the sort of sound that you _felt_ rather than heard. All rough, and raw, and her belly clenched at the sound. Loki was laying back on the  he bed, eyes closed as he gripped himself in one hand. He was wearing those fucking sweatpants and it made it that much hotter because all she could see was his dick and hand moving beneath them. _Fuck._ She thought, because this was actually ridiculous. It was better than any porn she had ever watched, Loki working himself over, his muscled torso lean and long on the bed. And he hadn’t even looked at her, acknowledged her at all and was it weird that that made her wetter? 

“Take them off.” She said, and Loki growled, eyes clenched as he flipped her off. She stared in shock at the v of his fingers, was confused that the old fashioned disobedience turned her on. She tried a different tactic, standing at the foot of the bed and using the hardest voice she could. “Loki. Let me watch you.” And that made his hand stutter a bit before he carried on. She could hear the sound of it under his pants, and would it be really that much effort for him to remove them? She wished she was there to do it herself. Darcy felt the frustration building up in her. “Please.” She tried, and she didn’t even have to put on the breathlessness in her voice. The want, the need to see what was happening under there. For a second she thought it hadn’t worked, and then he swore, in a quick move pulling off his pants to let her watch. She let out a desperate sort of sound, felt the need to be touching herself again so clearly. Because it was honestly one of the most erotic things she had ever seen. His dick was hard, the head shiny and wet with pre-come. His large hand was sliding up and down it and she watched as his other one tugged at his balls. 

His fisted hand was twisting as it moved, his hips pumping up in time. And the noises he was dragging out of himself, it must be when they fucked she was too focussed to really appreciate them. But they were affecting her, she was wet again, and each time he made that breathy groan her knees went weak. She saw the moment he was close, the hitch in his breath and stutter in his movement. Darcy felt herself holding her own breath, not blinking so she wouldn’t miss a second. He opened his eyes, the green of them latching onto her and she saw him come. He pulled white streaks from himself, and she would have wanted to watch that but his face was so arresting. His mouth fell open as he came, and she watched the bliss on his face as his eyes glazed over. Suddenly the world got blurry, and then she was laying on her bed, alone, but her head full of him. She laid back with a shaky breath, the throbbing between her legs to sensitive to touch, before rolling over and wondering how she was going to go to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I’ll update again before I go away. I'm sorry this was a little rushed, I'm gonna try and clean it up while I remember to. Also sorry for the monster chapter, I hope everyone can appreciate voyerism like this deserves some extra description ;)  
> Next Time: Loki comes up with a game, hopefully not to many feelings, and possibly some plot.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a monster. I meant for it to be a bit more plotty, but obviously that didn’t really pan out. The idiots are maybe finally pulling their shit together, and them been in love with each other is so cute to write, but also giving me hives due to my second hand commitment issues.  
> As always, your comments, kudos and reads are gold, I appreciate every one.

* * *

 

 

It had not gone to plan. Loki had intended to simply try projecting somewhere else, so ending up in Darcys' apartment was not the ideal result. And yes, he may have found her apartment number weeks before, and worked out roughly where it lay in relation to the lab, but that was only in case of emergencies. He did not expect his brain to betray him, to completely ignore good sense and drop him in _her bedroom_ of all places. Once he had seen her in her sleep clothes, hair rumpled and glasses low on her nose, he couldn’t react quick enough to leave unnoticed. Then of course, as she always does, Darcy surprised him. The next thing he knew he was urging her on with words while he watched her take herself apart. It was a distraction for both of them, he knew that, but it didn’t stop him indulging in it. She had wanted to watch him, and he struggled to understand how someone who fit against him so nicely could be just a midgardian.

The following day had been like normal, although Darcy seemed to have come to the conclusion of whatever she was wrestling with the night before. She seemed lighter, less cautious of something in their interactions. When she met his eyes unafraid, it felt like joy, and hunger and owning, but there was something else too. Grief maybe. Because he hadn’t realised until he saw her completely open, how much she had hidden from him. Now he had her, all of her, it was addictive. 

They were still fighting, over idiotic things, but it was like they were testing each other in the way they always had. It was an exercise in trust and limits, as if they were both trying to push each other away, even as they tried not to cling on tighter. Except now, when they argued, she would sometimes break halfway through. Laugh at something he said, start singing frozen at him or some other ridiculous reaction and he would come unstuck. His lip would twitch and she would see it was all over. The game would be up. He used to have better control over his reactions, knew he did with other people, but he couldn’t help it with her. So Darcy would walk over for a kiss, or whatever else she wanted and he would give it, easily, because it was an actual impossibility to stay angry in the face of such happiness. 

He was hardly providing ‘Dr.’ Foster with any useful information, just enough to keep Darcy satisfied, and it was not right that he had bent his own principals for her. Before Darcy he had gladly denied any and all information he could, and yet here he was, helping his _captors_. All for one small incident a few years before. He was loosing his edge, never knew the care of that woman could dull it so much. He had worked with renewed after he had visited her apartment, determined to come up with a solution to his entrapment. Loki needed to be free of that lab more than ever, and was understanding that his attachment to the girl was reaching a level he was not comfortable with. So how he ended up in her apartment again on the Wednesday night, he could not say.

It had only been three hours since he had last seen her. The loss of control was unacceptable. But the need to _just see her_ for a minute was hard to resist now that he had mastered projecting himself. He had arrived in her kitchen to find her cooking and singing along to some awful music. Darcy had been turning when he arrived, giving him an indulgent moment of seeing her before she saw him, and when she did, she didn’t even scream. She may have sworn enough to make Tho- others blush, but that only made him smile. She was staring at him, in an exceptionally ugly jumper and shorts. Her hair was piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, a few long strands pinned in place. Her kitchen was quite a large thing, which was no surprise considering who owned the building they were in. It was all smooth, shiny surfaces and clinical arrangement. Functional but not homely.

No warmth, not how Darcy would decorate given the choice, this much he knew. But still, there were signs of her here, just as in her bedroom. For one, the room was messy. Very messy. Loki knew that even when she was not cooking, it would not be a tidy area. Clean plates were strewn haphazardly on the side, and she seemed to have a range of tea towels hanging from various cupboard handles. Then there were the mugs. As in the forty or so that filled her counter surfaces. They were all different types, no discernible pattern linking them and some of them looked hardly used. Loki noticed a deliberately empty space and wondered if that was for the mug he had crushed on her first day. He dragged his gaze back to Darcy slowly, holding a bowl and spoon as she watched him unashamedly assess the room. She sighed when she realised he wasn’t going to talk first.

“Why are you back in my apartment?” Darcy asked, hand stilled from where it was mixing. There was light batter dripping down her arm that he wanted to lick off.

“I am frustrated with work.” Loki lied easily, looking away from her again so he wouldn’t have to mask his face. 

“So you came here for…. stress relief?” She asked, and he couldn’t miss the innuendo as she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“No.” He said quickly, a frown on his face as he continued to look around the kitchen. Loki didn’t like the idea that she thought he only wanted to see her for sex. He was then annoyed at himself for caring. This was all becoming very tiring. “I was bored. What are you making?” And what in Hel was going on with his distraction techniques? This transparency was embarrassing. Luckily for him, Darcy was too busy flushing to notice.

“Just a cake.” She mumbled, reaching over to sift a white powder into the bowl. He watched her reaction with amusement, her head ducked away from him as she shook the sieve.

“Pardon?” He asked, feeling his lip twitch and a wave of fondness washed over him.

“A cake.” She huffed out, rolling her eyes in irritation. His smile grew positively feral, satisfaction building as he put together why this would embarrass her.

“For me?” He asked, eyes eager for how flustered this made her. She was stirring the mix quite vigorously now, and he resisted the urge to make a comment about her knocking all the air out. And she said he couldn’t stop himself ‘being a dick’.

“I was gonna eat some as well.” Darcy replied, stepping around him, even though she could just walk through. 

“Why?” He watched her back as she tried to subtly add something to the bowl.

“Because it’s delicious.” She said quickly, and he shot her a look when she turned around. “We’re friends right?” She said with a little smile, as if the idea was an inside joke he couldn’t pick up on. He nodded minutely, watching the way she looked away from him and shook her head with a smile. “Besides, I eat all your cookies.” Loki laughed at this, a surprisingly warm sound.

“So, you’re going to eat all of my cake instead?” He asked with a laugh.

“Maybe I won’t give it to you.” Darcy poked her tongue out at him, and the flash of pink sent all bad thoughts to his cock.

“I would feel very deprived if you stopped doing that.” His voice was low and sultry, and the way her breath sped up was exactly what he hoped for. He moved closer to her, making sure to let his eyes linger. “What flavour is it?” She watched his lips move before looking away, teeth pressing into her own none too softly.

“Surprise.” She said gently.

“I can see the ingredients.” He pointed out, and laughed when she hunched her body over it.

“Congratulations.” Darcy replied sarcastically. There were smudges of blue in one of the containers, and her mixing bowl wasn’t exactly invisible. He vaguely remembered mentioning his favourite midgardian fruit to her some weeks previously. 

“Blueberry and vanilla sponge?” He asked lightly.

“Fuck!” She said in anger, flicking batter at him. Which went right through his projection. Loki smiled wide, turned to see the pale slap of batter, half of it dripping off the table. When he turned back Darcy was glaring at him murderously. He was almost certain she had learnt that look from him. “It was going to be a surprise asshat.” She really was adorable when angry.

“One that lasted ten seconds before I ate it?” He asked curiously, unsurprised when the hand on her spoon twitched. Loki smiled wider, vowed to work at the magic keeping him from being there with her. She at least deserved the satisfaction of letting the mess hit him.

“Ugh.” She said finally, looking away from him to put the bowl down on the side. “You are such a fun killer.” Darcy bent over to root around in the cupboards and Loki unashamedly stared at her arse. 

“Yes well, it would be a shame for me to loose my murderous edge.” He said dryly, and she re-appeared with a cake tin.

“Bad joke.” Darcy chastised as she greased the tin, shooting him a disapproving look. Loki put on his most charming smile, leaned over her as she worked.

“I try.” He let his eyes wander down, the valley of her breasts appearing as the jumper slid down her arm.  He was more than satisfied to see the green of her bra against her pale skin. Darcy shook her head, a wry smile pulling at her lips as she poured in the mixture.

“You’re just gonna watch me?” She asked, and he was indeed planning on doing that.

“You did not mind the other night.” He pointed out smoothly and her flush was a beautiful thing.

“Well my fingers weren’t covered in batter then.” She waved those fingers at him, and he really wanted to grab them, lick them clean. 

“Ah yes, this is much more intimate.” He replied with a smile, and Darcy laughed, loud and clear. He felt dazzled for a second, thrown by the sound. Just being with her was an exercise in self control, so strange to not have the option of touching her. He wondered how many conversations they had missed out on because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. He could not decide if this was something to be mourned or not. Darcy had finished up the cake, putting the mixing bowl down to place the tin in the preheated oven. He went to open it for her before realising once again he couldn’t with an irritated huff. She seemed to catch the gesture and bit her lip, before putting the cake in and closing the door. She turned back, putting the oven gloves down before staring at his legs.

“Holy leather trouser porn batman.” She said, voice just above a whisper, she then looked up slowly to see him smirking at her. “I didn’t mean to say that.” 

“Perhaps we should work on your vocal control.” He said with a smirk and then froze as an idea took root in his mind. Images of his mouth and her trying to keep quiet. He looked at her, really let his heat through in her gaze and tried to contain the erection that was rapidly growing in his trousers. Darcy was looking back with a mixture of concern and lust. It was a look she bestowed on him often.

“Loki, you’ve got that look on your face. The one that you normally save for plans and bad ideas.” Her hand was steadying her on the counter and he sent her a wicked smile.

“You will like this one.” He replied and she blinked slowly, letting out a breath before asking somewhat cautiously - 

“Will I?” 

“I swear it.” Loki said, his voice serious despite his smile. Her eyes searched his face for a moment and then her lips pulled up, a small almost shy thing before she spoke.

“Ok.” Her blue eyes were bright and beautiful and he reached forward to touch her cheek before he remembered he couldn’t. She let out a light breath and started cleaning up the bowls.“Whats up with work?”

“Hmm?” Loki asked, enjoying watching her move. Her body was all large handfuls of curves, and he always appreciated how sensuously she moved. 

“You said you were frustrated.” She said, stepping around him again to get to the sink. He felt some part of him shift uncomfortably as he registered her words.

“Ah. I am just trying to understand something.” He looked away, rubbing the back of his hand. The concern in her voice had him adding on. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Is it for Jane?” Darcy asked, turning with her hands covered in suds, and she looked so hopeful. His clenched his jaw lightly for a moment.

“Something like that.” He replied, the evasiveness coming easily. Darcy wiped her hands on a tea towel, her arms twitching for a second in an aborted hug before she remembered he was just a projection.

“Thank you.” She said quietly, looking her young age for once.“For helping her.” Loki didn’t say anything, didn’t have to as she turned away to put away the dishes. There was this low ball of guilt churning in his stomach, and he wondered when he had become such a coward. Darcy coughed once, clearing her throat before speaking, her voice a touch nervous. “Umm. I’m gonna watch something shitty on Netflix. You wanna join me?” She asked, looking down as she did. There wasn’t even a question in his mind. _Always_ , he thought.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It had been an easy decision in the end. Giving herself over to whatever they were becoming. Darcy had decided to go with it, follow the crazy train wherever it was running, because she was ok with it crashing now. It was probably just that she hadn’t felt heartbreak before, never really cared about anyone enough to know what it was like to lose them. But she didn’t mind being naive if it meant she could spend time with him without all the thinking ripping her apart from the inside. Wilful ignorance could sometimes be as much of a blessing as a curse.

It was lucky she did because him casually appearing in her apartment and hanging out with her? Not something she would have been so ok with a few days before. It wasn’t even the fact he was there. It was that he was in her apartment and just wanted to talk. Mostly not even about sex. Old Darcy would have found this confusing, would have struggled with the way she was giving him a nice alternative from his deserved imprisonment. Not to mention the elephant in the room that was their ‘friendship’. But New Darcy didn’t give a shit. She was just enjoying the way they both seemed to settle around one another. All the things that would have scared her before just felt like warm feet and messy kisses on the shoulder. He stayed and they talked and laughed, and falling asleep to him ranting about tv was her new favourite thing. She had bought in the cake the next day, tried not to smile too hard when he loved it and kissed her thank you. He told her it would have tasted better green while shoving half the cake into his handsome face, and it only made her laugh before licking the frosting off. She understood, abstractly, that she was fucked. That her life was not a fairy tale, and that she embraced him too tightly to let go whole. But she was done worrying, panicking about something she really couldn’t change. So every time he looked at her with those too open eyes, instead of shying away she let herself smile back. It felt good. Too good, Old Darcy would say but New Darcy was too busy laying in the sun to care.  

 

 

* * *

 

 

On Friday, it was the end of work and Darcy was standing up, packing her bag while she waited for Loki to come over and give her a reason to stay. They had been playing around all week, the day before she had him back on his knees begging and she loved that they were so fluid. But she could feel it in her bones and the way he had been looking at her all day, that he wasn’t in the mood to be taking orders. He walked over slowly, stalking her in that way that made her heart stutter, and she let herself feel the way her skin was prickling. Loki reached her, leaning into her  personal space, body brushing against hers so she had to look up at him. His eyes were all pupil as he casually reached his hand up her skirt to see if she was wearing any underwear. Which she wasn’t, obviously. Those things ended up disappeared or ripped anyway. It was cheaper just to keep them as far away from Loki as possible. She had to grip his arm when two fingers slid into her, thankful for the fact that she was always wet around him. He hummed approvingly, stepping back and wiping his fingers on his shirt before speaking.

“Lay on the bench.” He looked her over hungrily, holding out a hand to help her onto the one behind him. She looked over his shoulder to see he had put down a blanket and pillow. The sweetness of it didn’t even make her want to throw up. Darcy called this progress. Loki lifted her onto the side of the bench, and they got sidetracked for a minute, all open mouth kisses and her hands weaving into his hair. She was maybe pulling him a bit close for foreplay, but she could easily feel his erection through the pants, and why would she even try to resist? He finally pulled away, her lips pressing softly against hers before she unwound her hands. Darcy was woman enough to admit she was out of breath when she laid back. She felt his large hands on her thighs, gripping them tightly before pulling her down so her legs were over the edge of the table. She heard him pull a chair over and settle between them. _Well hello_ , Darcy thought, because she liked where this was going. 

“In fifteen seconds I am going to turn the sound from the lab back on. The guards will be able to hear anything going on in here.” _Maybe not._

“What?!” She asked, leaning up to look at him, his wide green eyes mischievous.

“Ten seconds.” His smile was even wider.

“Wha-“ She started, bewildered before he cut her off.

“You can use your safe word at any point.” Loki said. “I am about to turn off the sound. Nod if this is acceptable.” This game… well she would be lying if she didn’t like it. It was making her nervous, but in all the best tingly palm, tight thigh kind of ways. The thought of the guards over hearing anything was mortifying. But the thought of _not being_ _allowed_ to make noise, because she might get over-heard was hot. Like crazy, drop to her knees, praise to Loki and his leather trousers hot. She hadn’t really tried stranger voyeurism, wasn’t exactly stoked with the idea of inflicting it on poor Shield guards, but Darcy had faith in herself. She might be loud, but she was more than capable of keeping quiet for five minutes. 

So Darcy nodded at him, her head a little jerky from the nerves. Loki grinned, his smile blinding and golden in the way that made her want to kiss him, before laying his hands on her knees and spreading them. She smiled, let her head drop back onto the pillow and tried to relax. She figured, the key to keeping quiet would be relaxing. She had definitely had enough practise keeping the noise down at college, those walls were always thin, so she knew this would be fine. No trouble. The speakers wouldn’t be that sensitive, by they would probably pick up a certain…. pattern of sounds. So Darcy just had to make sure it didn’t sound like anything. 

Except- had she always breathed that loudly? She could hear her heart in her ears, feel his hands move to stroke the underside of her knees. Darcy suddenly wondered if this was such a good idea. And then Loki leaned forward, pressing his lips to the skin of her inner thigh in a slow kiss. She could feel his tongue against her, and as he kissed his way closer to her centre she had to focus to keep her breathing even. His kisses got lighter, and then he moved over to the other side and she only just stopped herself snapping at him. Darcy huffed, shifted impatiently and felt him smile against her. His hands slid up, reaching under her to grip her ass. His hands made her catch her breath, her own reaching for the blanket. He pulled her closer to him, making this little noise as he did, and maybe it was because against the silence of the room, it filled her ears, but she had to close her eyes against it. As he gently sucked a mark into her skin she realised she couldn’t do it. She leaned up, reaching forward to get his attention. She ran her hands through his hair and he _hummed_ into her skin, the tingle of it travelling along to her clit. She tugged his hair, a bit desperate, and he let her pull him away with a drag of teeth that had her slamming her mouth shut. 

She tried to explain to him with her eyes, how much of a bad idea this was. That her heart was already pounding and she felt like she’d just been running for how out of breath she was. Darcy knew she could use her safe word, but also knew that came with giving up on sexy times completely. Loki stared back at her, his eyes wide and innocent as he licked his lips and leant forward. Darcy panicked and literally covered her pussy with her hand. She was shaking her head furiously at him, and Loki cocked an eyebrow, leaning forward to lick between her fingers. Darcy half- moaned and quickly reached to clamp a hand over her mouth. Loki moved too, unlacing the one from his hair and grabbing her other hand, linking their fingers together. He held them by her side, pinning them gently before licking a strip up her middle. Her hips bucked up, and Loki let go of her hands, quickly threading his under her legs to grab her hands again, and pinning them over her stomach. She felt his warm breath over her for a second before his mouth was there.

She knew that she didn’t make that much when they normally had sex. That in another situation she would be able to more than control herself. It was just that then, in that silent room, the only sounds she could hear were his tongue and her heavy breath. He was tracing her clit, slow and gentle, and Darcy could hear these quiet, desperate sounds coming from her mouth. She tried to pull away from him, to use her hands to cover the sounds but he wasn’t letting go. His thumb was rubbing soothing circles into the back of them and she had never felt less _soothed_ in her life. He went back to licking her slit, and it was leaving this trail of heat, burning its way to her core. His arms were like iron and she was trying to shift, to move away or closer she didn’t know, and he wasn’t budging one bit. 

He softly licked down, fucking her gently with his tongue and she had to bite her lip to stop the moan coming out. A high pitched sound came out of her instead and Darcy froze, very aware that it was not quiet. Loki lifted up to look at her, lips slick as she shot her an amused look, and she took the opportunity to slam her knees together. He raised an eyebrow, all of the amusement  dripping away until he was glaring at her. Darcy shook her head, wanting a minute or two to try and calm down, or at least find a way to stop making such loud noises. Loki did not agree with this and placed a soft kiss on her knee before biting it, hard. With a small squeak, she opened her legs, and his face was right back in there. Except, Darcy realised, he had been going easy on her before.

His dark hair was brushing against her thigh as he ate her out with absolute focus. She felt shaky and wired, her whole body bucking as he flicked his tongue over her. She was trying to control her breathing, hoping that by keeping it regular, it would lower the volume. That might have worked if Loki had been keeping to the same pattern. Normally Darcy liked a nice, solid pace to get her there. She had thought, that was pretty much all that would do it. Loki was proving her wrong. Just when she thought she was getting used to what he was doing, his tongue pumping in and out of her or licking at her folds, he would change it. Move to suck hard on her clit, or press a messy kiss to the crease of her thigh and Darcy had to stop herself crying out. The noises she was making were obscene. These muffled little half-moans and she knew that Loki was getting off on them just as much as she was. The thought of Lokis’ erection right in between her legs, how much he loved eating her out was driving her crazy. She was so close, and as he finally, mercifully set a relentless pace on her clit, she started to think that maybe she could come quietly. Maybe this was a game she could win.

“Is everything ok in there?” A voice asked politely over the speaker system, and Darcy jerked, her face red as she realised they must have been overheard. But Loki didn’t even move, just moved faster. She dug her nails into his hands, unable to answer but really not wanting someone to walk in on them doing this. Her heart was pounding with the danger of it, the threat of them being interrupted stoking the white heat between her legs. Her breath must have taken on an especially desperate tone because Loki finally pulled his face away, taking a breath before speaking.

“We’re all good.” Loki growled laconically, and if they hadn’t thought they were having sex before, they definitely would after that. His voice was all fucked out, rough and gravelly, so obviously caught up in what he was doing to her that his normal British accent had taken on a harsher tone. She felt her pussy clench and watched his eyes latch onto hers. 

“Miss Lewis?” the voice asked, and of all the times for them to give a shit about her, they chose then? Loki slowly lowered his face, still keeping eye contact and licked slowly up her middle. Darcy let out a shaky breath and didn’t even have the strength to wince when she realised she still hadn’t spoken. She swallowed and tried to make her voice sound as level as she could.

“Yup. We’re fine.” He voice hitched on the last word, Loki firmly sucking on her clit and her head was arching back, her toes curling as she started to come.

“Alright then.” The voice said, and she clamped her lips shut, her orgasm almost dragging animalistic sounds from her. The sparks shot through her body, a feeling of absolute bliss taking over. She liked to think she hadn’t made a sound, but when Loki let go of one of her hands so she could clamp it over her mouth, she figured she had.

Darcy finally came down and after the last aftershocks, he gave her one final kiss to her middle. Loki unlinked their hands, wiping his face on his shirt before crawling up on the bench and grabbing her hand. He was covering her body in kisses as he held himself over her with one hand. The other one was still linked with her hand, and she twisted it so they were palm to palm. He kissed into her mouth lazily, the tangy taste of her filling her mouth and she wondered again at how he had that much self control. She could feel his erection, was sure it couldn’t have been comfortable, but he was acting as if he could do it all day. His body was pressed against her, not too heavy but enough that she felt trapped by him. She hummed in satisfaction and Loki slid his arm under her head. Darcy used her free hand to palm him through his pants, raising her eyebrows at the wanton groan that came from his mouth. He kissed her hand and rolled his hips into her hand before speaking.

“They can’t hear us.” His voice was still low and fucked. She shivered, grabbing his length more firmly as he kissed her neck.

“Not fair.” She mumbled, feeling lazy and warm and so fucking happy she couldn’t fight the smile from growing on her lips. She slid her hand up and under the waistband of his pants, rubbing her palm of the head of his dick. Loki let out a hiss, his hot breath fanning against her neck.

“My game.” He said simply, and she used his pre-come to stroke him.

“The worst fucking game.” She grumbled and he pumped his hips into her hand with a shaky laugh.

“I found it quite enjoyable.” He growled.

“I can tell.” Darcy replied, twisting her hand as she pumped him, letting him rub against her.

“All those noises you made.” He said, and he was close, she could feel it in the way his breath was short. His hips were stuttering, and Darcy decided to push him over. She turned her lips to his ear, channelling a phone sex line, and opened her mouth to let out a breathy moan. 

He groaned against her, burrowing his head in the crook of her neck as he came. The noise he made would never not be hot, all satisfaction and release. She let go of him, wiping her hand before rubbing his back. He recovered, still somehow not crushing her, and he bought the hand he was holding up to his mouth, kissing the back of it. She felt her heart stuttered, knew her eyes were too big to be looking at him with anything remotely friend-like. But he was looking down at her too, eyes all crinkled, warm, fond and smiley and she melted into it, pulling his lips to hers so she could kiss it away.

“You are wonderful.” He said sincerely, and she felt disarmed by him again. All of her defences had been so completely washed away, that when he said things like that, it actually had power. Her skin tingled, and it was so ridiculous that she could almost feel tears in her eyes. She wanted to make a joke about how he was only saying that because she had just made him come, but she was struggling to say anything. 

“Shut up.” She said finally, a gentle request.

“Would you like another lesson on valuing yourself?” He asked, enough humour in the threat for her to know he was mostly joking. She sighed dramatically, flopping her head against the bench and pouting.

“Fine I’m wonderful, happy now?” She said, feeling very put upon. Bright green eyes shone with mirth, and she felt her heart skip when he kissed her, gentle and deep.

“Yes.” He answered simply, pressing her back into the table, with a kiss she could feel down to her bones. “I am.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Outside the lab, Joanne and George were at the guard station. They had been working since eight o’ clock that morning, and George was looking forward to going home to his husband. He only had forty minutes left to go, and he was tucking into his afternoon sandwich. Pastrami and cheese. It had been a mostly calm shift, the only interruption coming nearer the end when he started hearing strange noises through the speakers. He had looked at the monitor, and confirmed that Mr.Odinsson and Miss Lewis were both visually fine, still heavily engaged in table tennis, but he had wanted verbal confirmation just in case. He had expected the grumpy response from the god but not the terse one from Miss Lewis. _Guard relations,_ he had thought sagely. It was a struggle being an agent with Shield. They could be strict on keeping to their places, and to their stations, but George tried not to take that too seriously. He knew that some of his colleagues could come across as rude, and he endeavoured to give Miss Lewis a better view of the guards from then on.

“Are they still at it?” Joanne asked him, and he swallowed the bite of sandwich he was taking to look at the monitor and answer.

“Playing table tennis? No.” He leant in a bit closer, double clicking to zoom in. “Looks like scrabble now.” He said in bemusement, taking another bite.

“Scrabble?” Joanne asked, leaning over at the screen. “Hmm. At least they’ve calmed down a bit. From the sounds of things before I thought someone was going to pull something.” George hummed in agreement. He had never heard table tennis played quite so vigorously before. There had been rumours of course, about the relationship between the god and Miss Lewis. George liked to think better. He had watched the CCTV day in and out, for any sign of wrongdoing, and the worst he had seen was her dropping mugs. If anything the change in relationship, might be due to the introduction of an hour of exercise or other recreational activities every night after work. Ever since that had started Mr.Odinssons’ mood seemed to have improved greatly. Now if he made threats to their life, it at least sounded half-hearted. 

George watched her on the monitor, shaking his head when she missed a seven letter word from her tiles. The god had the game in the bag. And english wasn’t even his first language. After a few more goes the all tiles had been played and he watched Loki lay down a triple word score. The woman sighed, shaking her head before standing up and saying loudly-  

“You win Loki. You are the superior scrabble player. You best me in every game we play. I am humbled to be beaten by you.” There was a pause before Mr.Odinnson answered.

“I know.” Mr Odinsson said, standing and packing away the board. George watched as Miss Lewis picked up her bag and waved behind her before walking out of the door.  He turned away from the monitor to watch her leave the lab, and smiled as she walked out. 

“Banjoes.” He said, maybe a little to enthusiastically, when she was closer to the desk. Joanne looked over at him, confusion clear on her face. Of course she wouldn’t know what being friendly looked like. He hadn’t had much of an opportunity to talk to Miss Lewis, barely a few sentences since he was put on this duty a month ago. Her hair was messy, a low flush on her cheeks and neck. George had never really realised what a strenuous sport table tennis could be. But then, there was lots he didn’t know about. The woman looked at him in surprise, stopping in front of his desk as her head tilted to the side.

“Huh?” She asked, pulling the strap of her bag higher up her arm.

“Banjoes.” He repeated carefully with a smile. “Seven letter word.” He explained kindly, and she still had a strange look on her face.

“Ok.” She said slowly, and he wondered if she was embarrassed about being seen loosing. He gave her a comforting smile. Her face took on a more concerned look. “Night then.” She said, backing away slowly. George watched her go, shaking his head. Some people just couldn’t take criticism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man. I am not romantic at all, but with these two I just want them to be all puppies and sunshine and loving each other because they are so fucking cute. Anyways, I’m gonna write until I leave, and I might just get this finished, but probably not. I’ve planned about four more chapters, but I’ll see how they pace out.  
> The crack at the end- I don’t even know. I figured Loki wouldn’t be the sort to let any mischief slip through his fingers, and then I got this head cannon of people asking Darcy random things and he getting more and more confused. Anyways.  
> Next Time: Mild peril, full accepting of feelings and the spooning no one ever asked for.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now I definitely have to go away for work :D This is my last one before I get back, and the timing is super frustrating because I've only got like 3 more chapters left. Anyways, here it is and shout out to MyScarletLetter for giving me the inspiration for this one eons ago with a comment. You lot are so brilliant, and I love it every time I hear from you. <3

* * *

 

 

 

They had been spending their evenings together, Darcy and him. Loki didn’t always visit her, he was still concentrating on breaking the magic that kept him in the lab, but it was often enough that it had become something like routine. He enjoyed it, this taste of midgardian life she was sharing with him. Little glimpses into who Darcy was when she wasn’t with him. He hadn’t ever expected she could hold his attention for this long on that first day he had met her. It was odd, the way his chest filled up in her presence, smiles spreading across his lips as if it was the most natural thing to share his feelings with someone else. She drew it out in him so easily, a feat that he had thought near impossible. He felt happy around her, and it was a privilege he hadn’t had for a long time. So of course, he wanted more. More time with her, more laughter, more anything, more everything. His focus on finding a way out of the lab was becoming almost obsessive, the time when she was sleeping or away from him spent on finding a solution. He had been getting less and less sleep, and while he didn’t need much, it had obviously dulled his senses some.

Darcy had come in later than usual and was working silently at her desk, headphones in her ears. Loki turned away from the board to reference something from one of the books when he watched her reach for her coffee with her right hand. He froze for a moment, unsure as to why this would jar in his mind. His eyes latched on to her hand, watched the way it gripped the cup, perhaps a little too tight, before flicking to its partner. To the bandage wrapped tightly around her left wrist, the reason why she was using her non-dominant hand for the beverage. 

How had he not noticed? The blood on the fabric was drying in a red slick and Loki had been the cause of enough pain in his life to know that the cut was not a shallow one. Before he had even thought about it he was over the table and next to her, taking her hand between his to look at the wound. He held it gently, aware of how fragile humans could be as his thumb traced the air above the cut. A numb part of him noted the poor wrapping and resisted the urge to strip the dressing and re-bandage it himself.

“What is this?” He asked gently, and Darcy looked up at him, tugging on her hand to pull it away. He held it firmly, lifting his eyes to her face to watch her looking .. irritated? She gave up with a sigh, pulling her headphones out.

“I’m writing.” Darcy said tightly, and now that he was really looking at her, he could see the way she was slightly hunched over the desk, almost protective. He remembered how she had tensed when he had kissed her head good morning, before letting out a small breath he had hardly given a thought to. All of these things he had missed and he could kill her because she wasn’t even answering his question. There was a tight feeling in his chest and the sudden wave of _panic_ took him by surprise.

“There is a cut on your arm.” He growled, looking into her face to make her understand how serious this was. That half answers and diversions would not satisfy him. Darcy looked down, away, anywhere else before putting a small smile on her face.

“Yeah, I got a bit hurt.” She said casually.

“You got ‘a bit hurt’?” He repeated, the words blank and dry on his tongue, torn up strips of paper fed to a dog that would not be satisfied with anything other than blood. She pulled her hand away firmly, biting her lip as she lay it on her lap. Trying to hide it from him, as if the sight alone was the reason he was so angry. 

“I was sort of attacked by someone, it’s ok, I’m fine no biggie.” _Attacked by someone?_ Her voice all light and breezy, but so easy to see through.

“Who?” He growled, surprised at the level way his voice sounded.

“Just some guy, it’s fine though I totally tased his ass. I’m not even hurt, really.”

“The cut?” Loki said pointedly, and he felt numb.

“He had a small knife.” His jaw clenched and he needed air, or his own knife and the man who did this.

“It is bleeding.” He informed her, and Darcy frowned, tracing the bandage with her finger, the red stripe like watercolour against the white.

“Oh, oops.” She said, curling the arm closer to her, and he could not handle this any more.

“‘Ooops?’” He was unable to deal with her reaction to this. The room fell silent and he could feel it under his skin, the need for her to be something other than glib.

“It’s not a big deal.” Darcy said suddenly, as if that would comfort him.

“ _You are bleeding_.” His voice was sharp, and he was amazed that what little control he had over himself was still hanging on.

“Tis but a scratch.” She said in an odd British accent, and Loki didn’t even want to know what that was a reference from. 

“What happened?” He asked, voice level despite the mess of emotions inside him.

“Does it even matter?” She asked in a jokey way.

“Darcy.” His voice was low, and threatening, and it made her look up. She searched his face and must have seen the worry because her own eyes went wide before she spoke. Her words ran out of her in a torrent that he only just managed to keep up with.

“So I was walking back from the bakery last night, you know the one with those nice cakes you like? And this guy came up to me and was like ‘give me your bag’ and I mean, I’m not stupid, you know like you’re always telling me.” She stopped at that point, trying to placate him with a small smile which she quickly swallowed. “So. Um anyways, I went to give him my bag, but then he like reached for my ipod. My iPod!” Darcy had her arms out wide,      

“Which you gave to him.” He felt numb, so angry that he had to clarify this.

“My iPod?! No obviously not. I was like ‘ guy, relax, you can take all my other shit, but I sort of care about this thing.’” He could see it so clearly, Darcy so animated talking to him now. He pictured an unnamed man, bigger than her, stronger than her, asking for that scrap of metal that he suddenly loathed. And Darcy saying no. He had to close his eyes and take a breath.

“You argued with him.” 

“He was trying to take my iPod!” She said in disbelief, as if he was the insane one. And that sentence broke the last of his control.

“That fucking device is not worth your life.” He shouted, and Darcys’ eyes widened, but she didn’t back down.

“I know. Thats why I tased him.” She tried to explain and he blinked. Tried to see the situation from her side, because all his view was showing was recklessness. She had been hurt, outside the lab, away from him and his breath was light in his lungs, a feeling of falling on the edge of him that he had’t felt in a long while. 

“I cannot protect you out there!” He said desperately, and she raised her eyebrows, folding her arms as she stood up.

“I managed nearly twenty five years without your help.” She said coldly, and he wanted to punch something, because that _was not the point_.

“I know that.” He grit out.

“I don’t need your protection.” 

“Obviously.” He said dryly, eyes dragging down to her arm pointedly. Darcy actually rolled her eyes at him.

“Dude, chill out I’m alive.” She said casually, and he had never felt more infuriated by her.

“‘Alive’ is not a good enough standard.”

“Well, it’ll have to be.” This was maybe the first argument they had they was devoid of sexual tension. It was all anger and fear and panicking, and now it was morphing into something he didn’t have control over. Her refusal to see the danger was making his thoughts difficult to cling to.

“Take this seriously. Take your life seriously.” He demanded.

“I am, I do.” She said, bristling.

“Clearly not. You are hurt. You got hurt.” 

“Really?” She snapped sarcastically, and he leapt on it.    

“Do you think this is a game? You are midgardian Darcy!”

“No shit sherlock. This is hardly news to me.” 

“You got hurt!” He said again, because he felt like she didn’t understand what he was saying. 

“I’ll heal.” She said slowly, as if he was a child.

“If you were more careful, you would not need to.” Talking with her was like banging his head against a wall.

“What so I should never do anything?” She asked, twisting his words, and he didn’t even have a second to appreciate how well matched they were.

“I did not say that.”

“Then what?” She demanded, all fire and bristles. 

“Perhaps if you did not have such little self-preservation, you would run away from the things that could hurt you instead of moving closer.” He growled, and Darcys’ face flushed.

“If I did that then I wouldn’t still be here with you.” She replied, and Loki blinked, the truth in her words hitting him somewhere in the gut. Darcys’ face cleared suddenly, and he caught the moment she registered what she had said. 

“Well maybe you shouldn’t be.” He said reflexively. Darcy reared away, eyes wide and too blue, and he hadn’t meant to say that. Didn’t know where it had come from. She was breathing softly, frozen like someone pinned by a wild animal, too afraid to take more than sips of air.

“What?” She asked quietly, all small and vulnerable. Loki felt frozen by her face, wide eyed and he had a sudden feeling of being out of control. He needed her to be away from him. He wasn’t dealing with this well, needed her to be somewhere else, with that bandage and her arm, and the red line coming from it. The images of her, someone threatening her, combined with the way her voice had gone so soft were making his skin shake around his bones.

“Go home Darcy. Take the rest of the day off.” He turned away from her sharply, walking back to his board. He picked up some chalk, rolling it in his hand, watching the way it stained his skin with white. The lab was silent, the shaky breath she took cutting through him. He could feel her staring at his back, willing him to do something other than what he had just done. To turn and what? Make her stay? Comfort her even though he felt like he was the one who had been attacked? Like someone had just stabbed a knife into a weakness he didn’t know he had? There was a scrape, and then sharp clicks as she stormed out of the room, the door humming as it opened and then finally shut.

Loki let out a breath, letting the chalk drop to the floor before sinking slowly to the ground. He leant against the wall, closing his eyes to try and get a grip. His heart felt too fast, beating in an erratic rhythm that had no place in his chest. Darcy had been hurt, cut with a knife and he was not there to help her. He knew that she could take care of herself, understood she was more than capable but the whole situation had been avoidable. _If what? She never left the tower?_ A voice said that sounded remarkably like the woman he was furious with, and he pushed it away. His first instinct was to find the man who did this to her, to make them see that it was not appropriate to hurt her like that. Loki thought back to what he knew of the crime and cursed himself for not getting more information. He could blame the lack of sleep, but Loki knew it was more likely that his sudden drop in capability was the way his mind had frozen at the first sight of blood. That her getting hurt had locked down any rational part of his mind. Now that she had left, at least he could get some more control over the situation. 

“I need to speak to Coulson.” Loki said into the room, making sure the guards could hear him and not the gregorian chanting he had taken to piping into their control room. There was a pause, and then a male voice came over the speakers.

“He may not be available at the moment.” It said somewhat nervously, and Loki didn’t even have to pretend to get the edge in his voice.

“Does it sound as if I give a fuck about whether or not he is available?” There was another wait, and then Coulsons’ voice itself was in the lab.

“Mr.Odinsson.” He said briskly, and another time, Loki would have loved to have 

“Coulson. Miss Lewis was attacked yesterday coming back from a shop.”

“There have been no reports”

“Well file one. This is unacceptable. Is she not monitored?”

“She is not considered a flight risk, or a target.” Loki could have banged his head against the wall.

“She works with me.” He said coldly.

“Which no one is aware of. New York is a dangerous city Mr.Odinsson.” Coulson said, somehow not patronising.

“I need to find out who did this.”

“It can be looked into.” 

“Send the findings to me.” Loki demanded, feeling a little calmer now that something was happening.

“I don’t think so.” Or maybe no calmer at all.

“Pardon?” He asked through his teeth.

“We will deal with the situation appropriately. If further criminal action should be taken, we will take it.” He had to take a few breaths before he replied to the agent.

“That is not acceptable. Darcy was hurt. The man hurt her.”

“And he will be dealt with. Within the law. Considering it is likely that Miss Lewis was using a form of self defence that is not legal to be carried in New York…..” Coulson left the rest unspoken and Loki filled it in in his mind. His hand clenched against his side.

“Goodbye.” He said, and cut off the connection to the speakers. Loki stood up slowly, directionless anger under his skin and he may have thrown a few desks against the walls. Loki thought back to what she had said, the moment of honesty that had stunned him. That her being near him was putting her in the most danger of all. He was a larger risk to her than anyone else. His past had proven him to be violent, manipulative, a hundred other things he would be terrified if she wanted to go near now. But he knew himself, knew that if he crushed the golden light she was, there would be no redemption. He could forgive himself a myriad of things, but causing her pain was not one of them.

The cut had been small, and perhaps another person would have been grateful that was all it was, but she had been too glib, and in the face of his own panic her disinterest fuelled him. He had reacted poorly to her injury. He was too emotional, too unsettled by the way a chance meeting had exposed how weak she really was. He had a choice - to accept that he was vulnerable to her wellbeing, that he cared for her and that this was the price he paid for his happiness. Or, he could cut off ties with her completely. Finish the game they had both been playing and save himself the inconvenience of caring for another person. He tapped his hand against the chalk board and reached for another book.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

This was the thing she ran from. Having to be accountable to someone else. Darcy liked being single. She liked being able to go wherever she wanted, do whatever, see whoever. She liked being independent and only having to look after herself. Whatever they had, whatever her and Loki were doing, it was crossing that line into him worrying about her. Really worrying about her. Darcy couldn’t deal with this, all the questioning and pointing. Him holding up a mirror to her reckless behaviour. She had known it was stupid, that one small metal box was not worth her life. Darcy had begged for that thing, because to her it was worth it. Anything else, she would have let him take, but that box was the only good reason she had for taking the job with Loki to begin with.

Darcy could admit that she may have been a bit relaxed about the whole mugging thing. She had pulled up some irreverence, wrapped it around her when Loki started, because she didn’t want to show just how much it had shaken her. She smoothed over the truth, ignored parts of it completely, just to try and survive the conversation. He had been looking at her like she was stupid, and that she could handle, had seen on enough faces in her life to be almost immune to it. But behind that was the way he had been almost panicking for her.

She didn’t tell him that she had been shaking. She didn’t say that she had kept her iPod for the same sentimental reason she had risked her life working with him. She didn’t say that she had been scared but that when the guy had slashed the blade through the air and into her arm, she had been more worried about her jumper than her skin. These things wouldn’t have helped Loki. They wouldn’t have calmed him when she knew most of it came from fear for her. She had the words to help him somewhere in her brain, but when they fought it was like all her defences had come back up. He was wearing a look all full of sadness, and fear and everything that just reflected back to her how vulnerable she was. It was like, she was suddenly looking at herself through his eyes and she was terrified for how stupid she’d been.

And now, she was in her bedroom, curled around her pillow like a person she always promised herself she wouldn’t be. It was late at night, pitch black in her bedroom, and she had spent the day comfort eating and alternating between anger and shell-shock. She felt like shit, all crooked and dulled and like every fear she had about letting people in, about _relationships_ was starting to come true. Her eyes felt tired and she had this crazy need to cry. Rubbing her face onto her pillow she let out a shaky breath and tried to push back the sting in her eyes. _Was this it?_ Darcy thought. The end of whatever they had been doing. It didn’t feel like the end, but it didn’t feel good either. Her brain was all fuzzy and tired but she was still too keyed up to sleep. Darcy considered getting some mindless crap up on the laptop to watch when there was a quiet rustle behind her and a shift of air  before aware body fell down onto the bed behind her. She yelped and went to roll off the bed when an arm she recognised wrapped around her. 

“Loki?” She asked and he just moved her, shifting her on the bed so her back was pressed tight against his front, his long body like a wall. In the dark she could only see whispers of his hair, but she knew it was him. She wanted to turn around to face him, to bury her face in his chest, but she couldn’t look at him. It was odd, how much easier it was to face him when she didn’t have to.“You’re here.” She said quietly.

“Shhhh. Get some rest.” Loki replied, voice low and soothing. 

“I can feel you.” Darcy said.

“I am still tied to the lab, this is a double.” He said softly, and Darcy nodded like she understood what he was saying. Mainly she was fixated on the way her chest had opened right up when he wrapped his arms around her. How suddenly everything felt a little easier to cope with.

“You’re here.” She said again softly, embarrassed at the hitch in her voice and the way it drew a tear from the corner of her eye. Loki took a breath behind her, wrapped his arms a little tighter as his face bowed down to press against her hair. There was quiet for a few minutes, and Darcys’ thoughts had calmed down enough to just be so damn happy he was there. 

“You were frightened?” _Of loosing this?_ She wondered for a moment before she realise he was tracing her arm. Darcy considered lying for a second before pushing it aside.

“Yeah, I was.” She said quietly. His hand stilled, before moving to link with hers.

“Then at least you have some good sense.” He said wryly, and it felt like sunshine to hear the smile in his voice. She smiled and closed her eyes, hating that just that meant so much to her.

“You trust me?” She said quietly.

“Yes.” His answer was instant.

“So trust me to take care of myself.” 

“Don’t give me reason not to.” He countered and she couldn’t argue with that.

“I’ll be more careful.” She said, and he pressed a gentle kiss onto the crown of her head.

“You swear it?” Loki replied, and his voice sounded almost desperate.

“I swear. No more unnecessary risks.” There was a pause after she said this, and he seemed to mull over his next words before speaking.

“I do not want to see you hurt again.” He said carefully, somehow treading the line between order and request.

“You won’t.” She said and could practically feel him roll his eyes behind her.

“Lie better Darcy, for my sake at least.” He said, but not angrily.

“You won’t.” She repeated firmly, hoping that her optimism would make it more true. She slid her legs back and wound them between his, her sock covered feet pressing against his bare ones.

“I never took you for a spooner.” She said lightly, a smile pulling on her lips.

“Shhhh.” He said softly.

“Do you want to be the little spoon for a while?” She offered

“I’m fine right here Darcy.”

“Ok. Don’t dribble on me.” She felt him chuckle, and wondered if he was going to just to spite her. They drifted into something like peace and quiet, his breathing becoming more settled, and Darcy remembered how tired he had looked earlier. Wondered if he couldn’t sleep without seeing her either.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Darcys reaction seems a bit muted, it's because I figured she's pretty numbed by the whole situation. She's not really dealing with her own recklessness well, not to mention being called out on being a mug. We've all been there I guess :D
> 
>  
> 
> Next time (whenever that might be): Fem Loki, Jane related hi-jinks and fluffy fluffiness to make up for all the adulting in this one.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back :D And I will actually finish this in the time before I might have to go AWOL again so thats exciting news.  
> This chapter is pretty much unabashed fluff with maybe a bit of plot. I don't know what happened to me, there's not even any smut. It's almost like I have .... feelings *shudder*.

* * *

 

 

It had been a week and a half since the Arm Incident. They were good, happy even, a word that Darcy wasn’t used to applying to either of them separately, let alone together. Although recently, within the last few months, she supposed she had been happy most of the time. In fact, even before that. Really since she started working for him, after that period of him behaving like the biggest shit on earth. Weird. Darcy had woken up to an empty bed and taken a few minutes to appreciate the peace and quiet because she knew it wouldn’t last long. It was a Saturday, and as she’d had the privilege of finding out the week before, Loki did not believe in quiet weekends. For someone so renowned for being sneaky, he could be a noisy motherfucker. 

Darcy rolled over on the bed, a pleasant ache between her thighs courtesy of the night before and snorted when she saw his clothes folded up on the dresser. Darcy had given up on pretending to tidy her bedroom, not that she really committed to it anyway. Her room looked like a bomb had hit it, clothes thrown all over, hanging from lamps and everywhere else - except for his neat pile. Darcy cocked her head to the side, hearing surprisingly quiet noises from the kitchen. She resisted the urge to get up and either supervise him, or knock his clothes of the dresser and onto the floor in the hopes of instigating angry sex. It was almost personal growth.

Darcy had never understood married couples, had genuinely panicked at the realisation that some people spent years seeing each other every single day, but it was starting to make a bit more sense. He had spent every night with her since ArmGate and she wasn’t even sick of him yet. Hadn’t even resented his movement into her space, because, being a prince, his sense of entitlement applied to everything. His presence marked a stamp on her apartment that couldn’t be shaken even after he left. And she somehow didn’t mind this.

Loki would appear sometime before she went to sleep and was often gone before she woke in the morning, but the press of him against her skin made her curl closer instead of forcing him away. There was a giddy feeling in her chest around him, and Darcy knew this is what people meant when they talked about love. The thought passed through her mind almost gently, like she was noticing the colour of her walls for the first time and maybe at another time this would have made her skin prickle and her heart cling to each desperate beat, but not now. Again, weird. 

Her head tilted to the sound of soft swearing from the kitchen, and Darcy smiled as she rolled over to look out of the door. His soft black hair was brushing past his shoulders, and the only thing apart from his bare skin she could see from behind was the string of the apron he was wearing. Her apron. A pink frilly thing non-ironically given to her by an old college friend for a secret santa. 

A few days before he had found it, put it on and her hysterical laughter had apparently been enough incentive for him to wear on whenever they were in the kitchen. His lack of self consciousness was one of the sexiest things, and she loved that they had gotten to the point where he didn’t give a shit about looking stupid in front of her. Of course, he also didn’t mind being naked under the apron, and she would never complain about seeing his ass move in the sunlight.

She smiled at his back, his hands almost clumsy - if such a word could be ever be used for him- as he reached for various tools in whatever he was making. Darcy let out a low, long whistle, and could tell from behind the moment his mouth split into a grin. He turned to face her, and gifted her with the joyful, wicked thing she had bought to his face. She had only started seeing it recently, and Darcy could feel her skin singing at the sight, another moment of ‘holy shit’ passed through her at how fucking glorious he was. 

“Morning.” The words sounded rough from her mouth and Loki smiled at the rough noise.

“Good morning love.” His voice was fond, and she felt like basking in his eyes because it was honestly the best feeling being looked at with such blatant care. 

“You’re cooking?” She asked, and then, because she couldn’t resist- “You _can_ cook?” He rolled his beautiful eyeballs and turned away from her, flipping the bird as he went. Her laughter rang out, and the sound was so pure and _delighted_ , for a moment she wondered at how it had come from her. She rolled back on the bed, for once enjoying the warm feeling in her body instead of over thinking it. Darcy lay like that, enjoying the occasionally curse from the kitchen as she waited for Loki - former prince of a whole mother fucking nation - bring her breakfast. A few minutes later, just as she was starting to doze off, he arrived at her bedroom door with a smile.

“Here.” He said, and she scooted up on the bed to give him room as he placed the plate - covered by a metal dome, where he got that from she didn’t know, on the bed. Loki was actually adorable, and Darcy could feel herself melting down to her toes. He started lifting the tray and she spoke.

“You bought me breakf-. Oh.” She finished quietly looking at the solid black lumps that were possibly once food. She couldn’t drag her eyes away, the misshapen lumps of - bacon?- somehow clinging to the plate, and Darcy almost definitely just discovered something Loki wasn’t good at. The silence stretched and she realised she was meant to be saying something, but she really couldn’t.

“I cooked for you. Its a traditional Asgardian dish.” Loki said, that same smile on his face, like a kid bringing a flower to his mother, only in this case he was a full grown man, and it was a plate of charred meat. 

“Yeah.” Darcy said slowly. “I see that.” It was hard to tell what any of the things had been before he’d burnt them.

“You don’t like it?” He asked quietly and she was sure there was a terribly sad look on his face, but she couldn't drag her eyes away from the plate. Car crashes had held her attention for less time

“What is it called?” She needed to buy some time on this thing. The unpronounceable selection of vowels he produced did not do that.

“Ah.” Darcy nodded slightly, wondering if she could make up an allergy to one of the ingredients, if only she could identify them. 

“You won’t even try it?” Loki said quietly, and her eyes flicked up to see him looking _forlorn_. His eyes suddenly looked bigger, all pupil and for a second she could practically see what he looked like as a kid. Like a fucking sad baby deer and she needed to be out of this situation. 

“Umm, it just look a little burnt.” 

“Right.” Loki said, a crease in his brow like that was how it was meant to look. “I’m trying to share my culture with you.” Cue the eyes again, the almost childlike confusion. Shit, she thought.

“Well. Thanks.” She tried for a bright smile, but was sure it came of a little manic.

“Go on then.” He said, going so far as to pierce a chunk on the fork, with an audible crunch, and offer it to her.

“Ok then.” She said carefully, and he held out the fork expectantly until she had no choice but to take it. “Here I go. Yum.” The food was just in front of her lips, and Darcy sadly understood she was actually going to have to put it into her mouth. In a quick move the food was in, the fork was out and she managed to swallow the piece quick enough to only gag slightly. Quickly grabbing the orange juice to drown it out, it somehow made the remaining taste of, perhaps vinegar and mustard, even worse. Gasping for breath and fresh tastebuds Darcy spoke.

“What the fuck was that?” And then quickly trying to soften the sting from her words - “Babe.” Because what a time to try out a new pet name. Loki was looking at her with interest, and a weird look on her face that she couldn’t really place.

“Fermented herring.” He said finally, voice quite flat, and she wondered if he was really pissed off with her. “Roasted. And bits of bacon mixed in, for some variety.” She forced herself to look down at the plate again, wondered how small lumps of black matter could constitute variety.

“Fermented herring.” She repeated, realising that those two words separately were disgusting enough, let alone combined. And it didn’t sound Asgardian at all.

“Well,” Loki said, another crunch as he pierced a black lump. “finish it then.” Her head shot up and the look in her eyes must have been something else because the next moment Loki was clutching his face and his shoulders were shaking. She scrambled to her knees, panicked he might be crying at her reaction of his cultural heritage or whatever, before he let out something that sounded like a snort. Darcy froze, slowly realised what had been going on the whole time as he took his hand away from his face and tried to maintain composed, lips almost white with how hard he was pressing them together.

“This isn’t Asgardian, is it?” She said slowly, and Loki lost his shit. He actually fell back onto the bed his laugh was so strong, and it took Darcy a moment to process what was happening. “Mother fucker!” Darcy said, and Loki was very close to crying with laughter. She couldn’t actually remember a time when he had laughed harder and even as the sound was making her smile she tempered it back down. So typical of him to find himself that hilarious. She pushed him with her foot, off of the bed and was satisfied to hear him yelp as he fell. Until he continued laughing on the floor.

“I can’t believe you burnt bacon for this. Bacon.” She tried to sound indignant, crossing her arms and pushing the plate away from her with disgust. Loki sat up from the floor, wiping away tears with a childlike grin as he waved his other arm in the air. In a moment there was another plate of food, this time full of golden, crisp strips of bacon.

“Happy now?” He asked, resting his chin on the edge of the bed, and it was not fair that he radiated happiness because he’d pranked her. She crossed her arms petulantly, ignoring the bacon and it’s awesome bacon-ny smell.

“No. I’ve still got that taste in my mouth.” She glared and him, and suddenly he was all charm, leaning forward on the bedspread to look up at her seductively.

“I am more than happy to replace it.” His voice was all innuendo and she ignored the heat between her legs.

“You’ll be lucky if I go near that thing again.” She said, biting back a smile. Loki raised his eyebrows at her.

“That thing?” Loki asked with a disbelieving smile.

“It’s not worth naming really.” She said, narrowing her eyes as she leant closer to him. Loki moved forward, their faces centimetres away as his eyes dropped down to her lips and back with a dirty smile.

“Really.” He repeated, slow and low, his hands moving to slide up the edges of her thighs.

“Mmmhmm.” She said softly, biting her lip, trying to remember that she was mad at him, or at least pretending to be. He was standing up then, leaning forward and crowding her until she had fallen back on the bed and his body was balanced above her. His lips were still so close, and as her heart did that thing where it failed to be satisfied with staying in her chest, Darcy wondered if it would always be like this with them. Loki was so close, and just as she thought he was going to kiss her his head moved to the side to whisper in her ear.

“Maybe brush your teeth first.” Darcy froze, putting on her best ‘how could you say that?’ face that must have worked because Lokis’ smirk vanished instantly. Just as he went to open his mouth to hopefully grovel at her feet, she took the opportunity to push in a piece of the herring. His face was gold, and starlight and every funny thing she had ever seen as he swallowed the food that was never meant for human consumption. 

“Now we both have bad breath.” She said sweetly as he glared at her and the wide smile splitting her face, before bringing him down for a kiss.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

On Sunday Darcy had managed to convince Loki to stay in bed with her instead of making some disgusting food or generally being noisy. They were wrapped up in each other, his head on her belly while ran her fingers through his hair, strands like soft black silk. Her iPod was pretty much always playing something when she was at home, and somehow that morning it had fallen into a more mellow run that had both of them in their heads. She couldn’t have really said what she was thinking about, distracted thoughts but not necessarily sad ones when she felt the weight of his head lift off of her. Raising his head high enough that he could make eye contact over the fucking mountain of her boobs, Loki spoke, green eyes linked to hers in that intense way of his.

“I shouldn’t have sent you away after…” She immediately got what he was trying to say.

“ArmGate.” Darcy filled in, and was rewarded in the way his mouth ticked up at the edge.

“Yes.” He replied and she raised her eyebrows to get him to carry on. Loki rolled his eyes. “ArmGate.” He repeated and she smiled at him before feeling it fade. Darcy looked away, a small tightness in her throat. It hadn't been easy to be told to leave. It had felt like rejection, made her unsure and confused, hurt all those parts she was opening up. She cleared her throat and spoke, looking at him.

“I probably needed the space. You did too maybe.” He watched her before nodding slightly, moving back down to lay on her belly. His hand came up to pry hers off of the cover, lace them together against the sheets. They lay like that longer, his thumb tracing her skin as her hand slid back into his hair. 

“I hate it when you run.” His words vibrated against her stomach and she frowned towards the ceiling. For once it was him hiding his face and she didn’t know how to feel about it.

“What?” She asked softly.

“If we fight. I hate it when you run.”  Understanding filled her as she realised he was admitting something to her. He was showing his vulnerability again, and this time, instead of making her feel sick and panic, it made her want to curl up around him and make it better. 

“Oh.” Her voice was soft as she tried to think of something to say. “Sometimes, I can’t think, it’s too much. Too much… emotion or something. I need to be away to actually understand how I feel about something.” His breathing was even against her stomach, hand linked with hers and she felt off balance not being able to see his reaction even though she got he needed that.

“That is acceptable I suppose.” He said finally, a wry smile in his voice that had her face mirroring his.

“Glad to hear it.” She said sweetly, and in an attempt to annoy him- “I would probably do it anyway.” 

“I know.” Loki replied, turning his face to press a kiss against her belly. He paused for a moment before deciding on something. “Don’t run too far. If you have to go, just don’t make it too far.”

“Ok.” She replied, mouth a little dry. And Darcy could have picked up on the fact he wasn’t saying please, it wasn’t even worded as a request, more an order. She knew him though, knew that for him, even saying the words was like begging. He was admitting to something he needed, and that didn’t come easily to him. There was a flash in her blood, and suddenly a moment of something settling in her gut. Because she really did understand him, more than anyone else she’d ever met. She knew him, his reactions and ways. And it felt nice, to be so close to someone. To be that close to _him_.

“I think you’re awesome.” She blurted out suddenly, not entirely sure why she had said it. Lokis’ head reappeared in her vision, and he seemed to be finding her statement funny, but confusing.

“Thank you.” He said slowly, watching her carefully in a way that was making her flush.

“You’re welcome.” She said, looking away from him, because his eyes were doing that stupid thing where they felt like magnets that pulled out all the breath from her lungs. Suddenly the doorbell went, cutting through the awkwardness. Darcy was praising Thor or some other diety because Loki had that look on his face like he was going to interrogate her. Darcy stood up, shucking on a robe so she wasn’t answering it naked, and ignoring his narrowed eyes.

“Who is this? At this time of day?” She mumbled, firmly in old-man Darcy mode on sundays.

“It is half past twelve Darcy.” Loki said with amusement and turned back to him.

“On a sunday.” That was really all the explanation she needed to give. Loki had on a robe of his own, a silky green thing that showed far too much of his very delicious thighs, and she stopped suddenly when she realised he was following her.“ No. Stay here.” Her arm was out, and if he appreciated being talked to like a dog he hadn’t told his face.

“I want to see who it is.” He tried stepping forward and around her.

“No.” She said firmly, glaring at him until he raised his eyebrow.

“I will make myself invisible to all but you.” As if him being seen was the only problem. At least if there was a stranger watching him it might make him behave. Maybe.

“No. Stay here. Do not turn invisible.” And she expected this to be the start of something, her own body singing with it when suddenly his whole posture changed and he backed down. Loki nodded once, accepting her words and replied calmly- “Fine.” Darcy was thrown by his change in behaviour. This was unexpected, his sudden understanding. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Thankyou.” She said, and he moved forward, but just to brush her bottom lip with his thumb, before bringing his lip to it. Loki kissed her gently, as if they had all the time in the world and there wasn’t someone waiting outside the door. Darcy sighed into the kiss, wrapped her arms around to hold him closer. He pulled back, a smile on his lips to look at her.

“You are welcome.” She felt all gooey eyed suddenly, weak kneed and blown over by affection for this difficult, monstrous, brilliant man. Darcy pressed her lips to the side of his mouth gently, pulling back to let go of him and walk out of the room to answer the door.

Her unfriendly -why the fuck are you ringing my doorbell on a sunday- face was quickly replaced with surprise when she saw it was Jane behind the door.

“Darcy!” Jane said, she was wearing what looked like clean clothes for once, and although her hair wasn’t brushed, it was in a neat ponytail. 

“Jane.” Darcy replied, a bit in shock that the woman was at her door, let alone almost well presented. She was going to carry on when the astrophysicist raised a hand, stopping her words before they started.

“So, I know I’ve been really distant recently, but I wanted to make it up to you. Thors’ away for the weekend and I thought we could get some lunch?” And another time Darcy would have jumped at it, wanted to finally spend some time with Jane the workaholic away from the lab and have a chance at normal life. But all Darcy could think about was the man she was hiding in her bedroom, and exactly how bad it would be if he was caught.

“I’m busy, sorry.” She said quickly, keeping the door almost closed so only she could be seen through the sliver that was left. She needed the conversation over as quickly as possible because the longer Jane was there, the more likely it was that Loki was going to shit stir. Janes’ face changed, her arms crossing as a non-nonsense look appeared.

“Darcy.” Her strict lecturer voice was out in force. “I’ve hardly seen you at all since you started working for that psychopath.” Darcys’ face froze and she wondered at just shutting the door in her face to keep Jane from seeing Lokis’ reaction to that comment. “I know, half of it is my fault, but you’ve been withdrawn too. I know I didn’t deal with it that well, but you’re still my friend and-“

There was a sudden clatter from behind Darcy, some books or something falling to the floor that was enough to stop the woman talking.

“Oh.” Jane said, the serious look gone to be replaced with a sly smile. “Someones here?” Darcy panicked, tried to slam the door shut once on her own foot before saying loudly-

“No. Nobody is here.” She was going to kill Loki, actually skin him because this was not a good idea.

“Who is it?” Jane called brightly, a wicked smile on her face as she tried to peer around her shoulder. There was a quiet footstep, coming from her bedroom and Darcy started babbling.

“I’m sorry, I’m not feeling great, maybe another ti-“ A hand landed over hers, easily pulling the door wide open before reaching over in offering to Jane. Jane started behind Darcy in surprise, and she couldn’t say anything, was trying to find the words to explain his presence in her apartment, when she realised the hand being offered was very, very feminine.

“Hello,” The words rumbled against Darcys skin where a womans' body pressed up behind her, long black hair tickling her shoulder. “I’m Lucy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone still reading this, thank you, I never would have thought I could have written this much, even though the plot is patchy and it’s mainly character driven dribble. And I definitely wouldn’t have written anything past the first chapter if it wasn’t for you guys. I really appreciate every comment, kudos and read so thank you. The next chapter should be done soon, I might do a double update next week but I’ll see how it all goes :D


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was actually meant to be shorter and less sex filled but these two are adorable and I realised that while FemLoki was here, I had better make good use of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this work is done, I’m gonna write a set of ficlets of basically the two of them being the two of them together. I was totally planning on doing a section where Loki did;t know what to wear, how to do make up, wanted her hair done and Darcy dressing her, caring for her etc. but then sex and feelings happened so yeah.

* * *

 

 

“Hello, I’m Lucy.”

Darcy froze, eyes wide as Jane grabbed Lokis’ hand and shook it, smiling up at the woman pressed into Darcys back.

“Hello, I’m Dr.Foster. Jane. So are you two frie-   Or something else?” Janes eyes dragged down, to where Loki had snaked a hand round Darcys waist, probably flashing some form of innocent smile in the astrophysicists direction. And all Darcy could do was let out an internal sigh because of course Loki would find a way to make the whole thing even more awkward. There was an awkward pause, Janes’ eyes fixed on that hand, the way it curved round her stomach, and Darcy wanted to facepalm, because the situation was awkward enough without the whole ‘YOU LIKE GIRLS?’ coming into it. 

And ok, Darcy wasn’t exactly good at telling people about her slightly bendy orientation. She would correct people, if they called her straight, but Jane had never done that, so Darcy had just sort of let it go unsaid. It wasn’t that she was ashamed, not at all, but she’d always been a private person, and she didn’t really see the need to share it with people unless she was seeing someone. You know, someone it was socially acceptable to see, not her boss/inmate/alien murder god. Jane being a generally awesome person, just gave a slow owl blink, before her whole face shifted into Science!mode and Darcy was suddenly very afraid she was going to produce a Kinsey scale questionnaire from her pocket. 

“Jane was just inviting me to lunch,” Darcy blurted out in an attempt to re-direct the conversation and end the whole thing. “but I said I was busy.” She tried to sound sad, but it mainly came out strained.

“Oh, what a shame.” Loki said, sounding genuinely upset, and Darcy could picture the face she was pulling over her shoulder, that forlorn, kicked puppy look that made her give up cookies and eat terrible imaginary food. Janes’ eyes started to soften and widen and suddenly the door _needed_ to be shut.

“Yeah well, life’s a shit sandwich and all that so I’ll just shut the-“ Darcy was trying to pull the handle but even as a woman Loki was ridiculously strong.

“You should come along!” Jane half-shouted, excitement on her face as she spoke to Loki. “Yeah it will be great!”  And Darcy realised it was half Jane trying to prove that she wasn’t homophobic, not that she ever thought it, but Darcy attempting to slam the door in her face probably wasn’t doing any favours.

“No, no. No.” Darcy blurted out, trying to give her best ‘you really don’t have to do this’ face.“No, no, no.”    

“Darcy! No need to be rude.” Came Lokis voice, smooth as honey, and maybe Darcy was the only one who could hear the underlying smile in it.

“Yes Darcy.” Jane told her off, face stern enough for Darcy to feel guilty before turning to the black haired woman again. “Are you British? What a lovely accent.”

“Thank you.” And Darcy was screaming inside, because this level of small talk was painful enough, she did not need a whole lunch worths’.

"We already had plans for today-“ She tried weakly, feeling a smile press into her head in the form of a kiss that was in no way soothing.

“Nonsense my love, we can certainly change them to dine with an old friend.” Darcy considered head butting Loki, but solemnly remembered physical violence was not the answer. Jane smiled widely at the both of them, eyes flicking from Darcys’ face to the womans’ behind her.

“Great, I’ll give you guys a chance to get ready, I’ll be back in half an hour?” 

“Perhaps forty five minutes? You know how long Darcy takes to do her eyeliner.” Loki said this almost conspiratorily, and it really was not fair the level of charm produced from the god.

“Ha!” Went Jane, in a laugh Darcy had never heard her do before. Because of course the one thing they would have in common would be taking the piss out of Darcy. There was an awkward pause where Darcy was trying to come up with a chronic injury, before Jane spoke again. “Ok, I’ll meet you in the lobby in forty five minutes then. Don’t be too late.” She said this with a broad smile and a wink that reminded Darcy of overly sexual grandmas’ in movies. The door closed in front of them, and the how the whole thing had gotten out of control, she had no clue.

Darcy turned around and faced Loki, somehow forgetting in the turn, just what she would see. Loki stood there, all nearly six foot of alabaster skin and straight black hair that fell to the waist of a beautiful woman. How was it that Darcy could so easily forget the way a face could stun her? That she had somehow become immune to the heart pounding, breath stealing, thought ruining effect of those eyes, nose and lips in male form. So when she saw it as it was now, Lokis’ face softened and made full and lush, that her anger flew out of her brain on a sigh. It was not right that she could be so captivated by a combination of looks alone, and she would have been angry about it if she was capable of more than flushing. This lasted for a moment, before Loki spoke and reminded her of the situation.

“Well, this should be fun.” And the ridiculous woman winked at Darcy, smile wolfish as she looked both proud and full of mischief. 

“What the fuck.” Darcy burst out. “This isn’t going to happen. We aren’t actually going to lunch with Jane.” Loki cocked her head to the side, and it was always strange seeing the same moves on a different body.

“You don’t want to spend time with your friend?” She asked, and Darcy could practically hear the tease in her voice.

“It’s not her thats the problem.” Darcy said pointedly, and was rewarded with a pout that was definitely not that irresistible normally.

“I’m that difficult?” She asked lowly, eyes downcast and full bottom lip slightly out. On another day, maybe she would have pretended to buy it, it wouldn’t have really been pretending, but she knew Loki and the games they played so just glared.

“Loki.” Darcy said sternly, and Loki smiled wide, always loving it when she called out bullshit. Deciding on a different tactic, the god stretched wide, the shirt she was wearing - Darcys’ by the way- sliding up her thighs like fingertips.

“This body then?” Loki asked, walking closer to her, and maybe Darcy could have been quicker, moved or something but her brain was still caught up on that little flash of the skin between her legs. “I rather remember you telling me all of the things you’d like to do to it.” The husky sound in her voice, along with the way she was casually backing Darcy up against the door was distracting enough, let alone the fact that Loki _smelt_ different. Like goddamn spring, and going outside for the first frost. She lent over Darcy, body brushing against hers, and how different it was, even that. Her chest was warm, breasts pushing up against her, and a part of her wondered if her skin was softer. If all that muscle Loki carried had been transformed into something different, or if her strength lay just under the skin in this body too. Darcy wanted to feel it, had a tingling in her palms where they longed to find out.

“Yes.” Darcy said finally, trying to stay sharp and sassy, not ice that melted under a warm look. “In a room with a bed. Not at lunch with my friend.”

“Po-tay-to po-tah-to.” Loki said lightly, and who had even taught that phrase to the god? _Probably you_ , came a voice that she knocked away. She couldn’t get away, Loki looking down on her, face just inches away, and the strands of their hair blending to the side.

“No. No potatoes. You can’t even leave the tower.” Loki shook her head slowly, firm white teeth pressing down into her lip before she answered.

“I can, for short periods of time. Lunch will be fine.” Darcy was distracted for a second by a flash of tongue, the tension in her body at the lunch situation feeding on the other kind of tension it caused.

“Lunch. With. Jane.” Darcy said firmly, glaring now at the woman. Trying to explain all the ways it could go wrong - how whatever they had could be ended by this prank. That she could be fired, and not allowed to see Loki again. That Loki might get moved, could have more time on the sentence, and it could all be done. 

All this look got however was a dry: “You seem stressed.”

“Do I really?” She replied, her voice a little sharp, the sarcasm fucking strong, and Darcy watched Loki change in response. A shift, and almost all of the seduction bled out of her body, somehow turning comforting as her eyes got warm round the edges. 

“Darcy, you trust me. So trust me today.” Loki said simply, and Darcy was going to reply, to say something, when she kissed her, soft and gentle. Almost sweet, if that word could ever be applied to Loki. When she opened her eyes, there was a soft thumb running over her brow, smoothing out the creases while a set appeared on Lokis’ face. “It will be fine.” She said with a quiet voice, green eyes searching hers. Mischief flashed in them for a second, and she moved closer, thumb sliding down to pull at Darcys’ bottom lip.“Fun even.” Her thumb slid in to her mouth, firm digit brushing against wet tongue, and she was instantly aware of the wetness in between her legs. Irritation rushed through her, that she could be distracted so easily, but she tried not to deny herself the things she wanted. Darcy bit down on the finger and Loki let out a breath, lips parting as her eyes zeroed in on her mouth. Pulling her head back, Darcy let go of the thumb, still keeping her eyes fixed on Lokis’. She grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her lips close enough that they brushed when she spoke: “We don’t have long. I guess you better make me come quick.” And then she pulled her down, watching as Lokis’ eyes darkened in understanding as she got on her knees.

“Yes ma’am.” She said with a smile, reaching to unknot the tie on the front of Darcys’ gown. Her fingers slid over the material of her stomach, and she felt it tense, sparks falling from the place their skin brushed. And again, some thing were so similar - the intensity of being the only one bare, that fixed feeling from being watched under green eyes. But the differences were just as affecting -How Lokis’ lips were softer in this body, parting less readily but somehow more complete in their covering of Darcys own. That her mouth, now, as it pressed wet and open against her stomach, her hip, her inner thigh, felt almost lazy, as if Loki wasn’t filled with the same urgency in this form. Like all they had was time, and this activity to keep them occupied. 

Her stomach clenched again, hand finding Lokis’ shoulder to rest on as she placed a kiss directly between Darcys’ lips. Her mouth felt warm and full against that space between her legs, and again, Darcy was shocked at how the whole world could become blurry against the focus of that feeling. She took in a breath, closed her eyes when a tongue brushed against her, lapping up the whole of her slit. Darcy slid her hand into the black hair, silky strands flowing through her fingers as Loki moved again, broad licks starting at the place she opened. 

Lokis’ arms were sliding up and down Darcys’ legs, nails scratching now and then as her tongue moved to flick against her clit. With a slight sound, Darcy opened her eyes and saw Loki watching her, mouth moving against her. Darcy was pinned by the eyes, arrested by the greenery, the intensity and the care she saw there. Another brush of her tongue and Darcy felt her legs shake, a hand placed against the back of her thigh to support her. Her breath was getting bigger in her chest, and she felt overwhelmed by the feeling. It was making her bones liquid and molten under her skin, the heat between her legs, and the way Lokis’ hand scratched her thigh sending a constant pulse through her body. 

Loki covered the whole of her pussy with her mouth, her tongue circling her clit softly, a tease against the heat of her breath. Darcys’ skin started to feel hot, a flush all the way up her chest, her tits and nipples exposed against the air, the silk of her nightgown brushing randomly. She felt trapped, the wall so firm behind her, and her only point of contact in front the floor under her feet and Loki. Loki, who had slid one hand up her inner thigh, two fingers pushed into her open hole. Darcy felt pierced by it, body clenching around the digits as she tightened around them, feeling the slow pull of fingers as they crooked and massaged the inside of her. Darcy was close, almost overwhelmed by the long licks against her, the way her clit was no longer being circled but being sucked. She gasped, unable to look away from those green lights and the lust that filled them.

And before, Darcy never could have imagined this kind of connection. That she could look into someones eyes when they fucked, and instead of it feeling like a courtesy, something polite to do, it felt necessary. As if everything she felt was reflected back Lokis’ eyes. That the pleasure she felt was built on by Loki watching her, seeing her, knowing her and wanting her. She felt _sexy_ , and like she would be ruined if she ever tried to find something like this again. Her legs shook, and Darcy finally came, closing her eyes against the rush that filled her body. Her skin felt hot, nails digging into Lokis shoulder as she carried her through it, tongue giving small licks that were just on the right side of too much. When she was done, body almost weak, Loki pulled back with a smile, getting up from where she was kneeling to wrap her arms around Darcy and kiss her. 

Darcy could taste herself against Lokis’ tongue, pressed herself tighter into the womans' body as she tried both to catch her breath, and steal Lokis’ away. With a hand slipping into hers, they moved away from the door, over to the sofa and Darcy worked at opening the buttons on Lokis’ shirt, distracted her lips, so difficult to leave unkissed. 

“We have to get ready.” Loki mumbled, her voice wry, mixed with laughter as Darcy gave a triumphant cry and fixed a kiss to her now exposed belly button.

“And whose fault it that?” Darcy look back at her, raising an eyebrow in challenge. There was warmth in her chest, and such a softness in her eyes as she looked on the black haired woman. She was pissed off at lunch, but now because going meant she couldn’t stay straddling Lokis’ thighs all day. Darcy felt a jab of need rush through her. The way she wanted to taste Loki, feel that soft, wet skin between her thighs and work it over until she came undone. Her heart stuttered with it, and Loki somehow saw this, sensed the feeling because she reached up and curled her hand around Darcys neck to bring her forward for a kiss. All of the urgency seemed to fade, and as Darcy felt their bare chests press against one another, could feel the want rolling off of Lokis’ body there was something else as well. 

Contentment, for them to lay like that, legs intertwined, gentle hands pushing hair away from their faces. Breath fell out on sighs, and Darcy just felt warmth in her body. Warmth from the place their bodies met, from the way she could feel a hand rubbing at the small of her back, from the breath that hit her neck, her cheek as they kissed. Most of all warmth from the smiles Loki was giving her, a mirror of her face, indulgent, and full of love. 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Later, after a makeout session that led to nothing more than heavy breathing and messy dressing, the two of them were waiting in the elevator, ready to meet Jane at the lobby. Loki was dressed in a look Darcy would call ‘indie lesbian dreamgirl’ Including but not limited to- nose ring, oversized plaid shirt, doc fucking martins and one of Darcys’ beanies. Apparently the look was to ‘get in character’, whatever the fuck sort of character Loki was trying to go with, and this was not helping Darcy relax.

Darcy could feel the tension running over her shoulders and pooling in her feet as she waited, the lead weight of panic in her lungs as she tried calm herself down. She wasn’t really worried about Jane figuring out who _Lucy_ was, not that Jane wasn’t more than smart enough to, it was more that part of her was having to deal with the morality of what she was doing. That two parts of her life she had been fighting to keep separate were meeting. She didn’t want to see herself through Janes’ eyes, the shame, the disapproval. Basically every bad idea she had about herself written on the face of someone she cared about.  Her thoughts were getting faster and faster, stress coming too quickly for her to deal with it properly.

Then a hand slipped into hers, and while it wasn’t the one she was used to, when she looked up into Lokis’ eyes they really weren't that different. Still green, still sharp and still beautiful. It all faded for a moment, because Loki was holding her hand, and she knew that whatever was coming could be survived with a little help from the very same person who had caused it. How confusing that the biggest source of pain in her life was also her biggest comfort. Loki smiled down at her, leaning forward to press their lips softly together, her thumb running over the back of her hand where they linked. Loki pulled back, and her eyes said don’t worry, this’ll be ok. Whatever happens, we will work it out together. Be calm my love, let me carry this risk for the both of us. Then her smile widened into the wicked thing Darcy was intimately familiar with, and with the way her heart beat faster and a smile mirrored on her own face, she realised that despite how worried she was, she was sort of excited too.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing, like always. sorry for the slow update, but it's a double if that makes it any better? :P

* * *

 

 

They were pressed, side to side in a booth, facing Jane when their drinks arrived. Darcy kept her hand  against Lokis’ leg, fingertips sliding under a rip in her hipster jeans. She wasn’t trying to be distracting for once, it was more a safety measure so that whatever shit was going to come out of Lokis’ mouth could be stemmed, by gently-not so gently- pressing her nails into the skin. They were at lunch, some burger place a few blocks from the tower, and Darcy had spent the walk trying to limit the damage that Loki could do. Except - when they were walking, she came to the realisation that _they were outside together_. It was such a stupid thing to discover, and five minutes into the walk aswell, but it put this stupid smile on her face. 

Darcy had been pressed flush against the tall woman for most of the walk, sunlight spread over  the two of them, and it was really difficult to be worried when it felt like a gift just to be able to touch Loki in public. Their hands had been linked, palms facing, the feeling of a thumb brushing her knuckles making her heart skip like she was fucking twelve again. She really was trying to listen to Jane semi - nervously babble on about traffic, and New York, and how much nicer New Mexico was, but in her chest, there was this lightness that seemed to make the whole world golden. At one point, they stopped at a crosswalk, and Darcy looked up at Loki. Her eyes were closed, face turned into the sun, and was it peace she saw there? Joy at being free? She wanted to kiss her chin, smile into her lips and tell her that this could be them everyday if she wanted. Then the light turned green and they walked on the three of them before sitting in that restaurant, Darcys’ nails scratching the skin of who Loki was pretending to be.

“So how did you guys get together?” Jane asked, and Darcy was panicking for a half second, feeling stupid that they spent the time fucking, and not coming up with a backstory.

“In London.” Loki replied, because of course she would have answers to all the questions. Darcy was almost soothed by this before she realised just how dangerous an answer could be.

“I thought you were seeing Ian in London.” Jane said, and Darcy froze, allowing her nails to dig into the skin of that ridiculous woman leg. Obviously she would try to erase that man from her life.

“After Ian.” Loki said smoothly, before taking a sip of her -whisky? Darcy hadn’t even seen that on the menu. “You know how it is, human men.” Her head shot round, facing the beautiful woman as she took another sip of her drink, not even noticing what she said.

“ _Human_ men?” Jane said back slowly, a crease in her forehead and Loki didn’t seem inclined to correct herself, in fact seemed about to explain all of the failings of male members of the human race- when Darcy jumped in.

“Have I mentioned what Lo-Lucy does for a living?” 

“No you haven’t.” Jane said, looking at her now, and Darcy thought this was a good thing. Thought the less attention given to the crazy, brilliant person to her left the better. Of course, that required a level of lying that Darcy had yet to master.

“Well I should then.” She said, stalling for time. Loki let out this huff of amusement, and Darcy just resisted scowling. “Law.” And the regret was instant.

“A lawyer?” Jane said, surprised. 

“Yes?” Darcy asked, turning slightly to Loki, giving a flash of panic eyes, hoping it would be enough to get the woman to jump in an make things better. There was a long pause, before Lokis’ lip twitched and she turned to Jane.

“Thats right. I don’t even cross a road without being sure it’s legal.” She said dryly, and Jane went to laugh, but the look on Lokis’ face was 100% serious. 

“Do you work in defence? Prosecution?” 

“I believe in helping the poor and overprivileged.” Loki said, and on anyone else, the voice would have sounded humble.

“Underprivileged.” Darcy corrected automatically, not sure if it was a deliberate mistake or not.

“Underprivileged.” Loki repeated, like the word was foreign on her tongue, and Jane just nodded slowly. Darcy got a sudden flash of that meme, imagined lifting up Lokis’ hand to find ‘poor and underprivileged’ half smudged on the palm.

“Thats really noble.” Jane said, and bless her she was really trying.

“I’m just that sort of person.” Loki said sincerely, and Darcy held back a surprised laugh, just stopped herself banging her head against the table. 

“It sounds like you enjoy your work.” Jane tried, because no -one else had said anything, and Loki was just smiling this blank smile. Darcy realised for a second that this might actually be what Loki thought human conversation was like. This fucking awkward.

“It can be challenging, but very rewarding.” And Darcy snorted, sending a disbelieving look Lokis’ way because she was really laying it on thick. 

“Sounds like Darcys’ job, except for the rewarding part.” Jane joked and Lokis’ eyebrows shot up as she turned towards Darcy.

“Oh really? No benefits to your work at all.” Her voice was dangerously low in that way that made Darcys’ brain stumble.

“I- um.” Darcy stared, and Jane cut it.

“It’s not the work, it’s her boss, right Darce? He’s an asshole.” Eyebrows twitched again, and Loki had this small smile on her face, eyes dropping down to look at Darcys lips. And Darcy was trying to work out how much ‘Lucy’ was supposed to know about her work, hoped Lokis’ name wouldn’t come up at all in this lunch before the god spoke, voice like honey and warm kisses pressed into the back of her neck.

“Oh yes, I’ve heard a lot of things about Darcy’s boss. Long hours, no rest. Staying late at the office. He really likes to ride her hard.” This last sentence was said with such a edge to it, completely covered in filth and promises that Darcy couldn’t look away, in fact felt a blush creeping up her neck.

“Such unusual phrasing.” Jane said finally, looking not a little bit confused and Darcy managed to break eye contact to grab her drink and reply sincerely in explanation- “Europeans.” She felt a huff of breath against her neck, and knew Loki was holding back a laugh. 

“Dr.Foster,” Loki started, slipping her arm around Darcys’ shoulder as they sat side to side in the booth. “how is it that you came to work here?” 

“I was offered a job with Stark after the whole New Mexico thing. I wasn’t too sure at first, he can be a bit intense, but the funding, and chance to expand my research was a good offer. Plus, with Thor being who he is and us being together, it just kind of makes sense.” This was met with a blank look on Lokis’ face, and Darcy wondered how much she was pretending not to know. 

“Thors’ Janes’ boyfriend.” She said in explanation, and Loki frowned, eyebrows pressing down in mock confusion.

“Thor? Can’t say I’ve heard of him.” 

“He’s pretty well known.” Darcy said sweetly, narrowing her eyes. Lokis’ lip twitched, and was obviously finding the whole thing pretty funny. She waved a hand in the air, taking another drink of whisky.

“Well I like to keep my head away from all of that celebrity nonsense. People famous for not a lot.” Darcy glared hard at the beautiful woman, because of course Loki couldn’t resist poking fun at Thor in front of his beloved/one true love/ inter dimensional love of his life. 

“He saved the planet. More than once.” Darcy said, voice more than a bit stern. _From you_ , she thought about adding, but settled for digging her nails sharply into the thigh under her hand. Loki dropped her eyes to trace her lips, and of course she would like that little bit of pain. She finally shrugged, as if it was an unimpressive thing and Darcy wondered what Jane was making of all this, watching them across the table with careful eyes.

“Hmm. He’s not related to Loki is he?” Loki asked innocently and was she fucking joking? While Darcy glared a hole into her face, she replied.

“They’re brothers.” The words somehow got out through clenched teeth.

“Unfortunately for Thor.” Jane said, and that finally got Lokis’ attention away from Darcys’ face.

“Whys’ that?” She asked curiously, if not a little cold.

“Well Lokis’ hardly a walk in the park. Haven’t you seen the footage from the attack here?”

“I have, and I’ve heard some people describe him as quite dreamy.” Darcy raised an eyebrow at the god, wanted to know who exactly these people were, because even she wouldn’t use that word.

“Maybe from a distance, if he’s gagged.” 

“Kinky.” Loki replied with a wicked smile and Darcy was fixed by her eyes and the heat between her legs before remembering that they were at lunch with Jane, and fucking on the table in a public place was not an option. _Maybe the bathroom though?_ Her hindbrain thought, and that bitch was gonna get her in trouble. 

“Anyway.” Darcy said loudly, banging her hand on the table to distract herself and apparently make Jane jump. “I’m hungry.” she finished, picking up a menu and glaring the inevitable ‘I bet you are’ away from Lokis’ lips.

“Then lets’ eat.” She said instead, and Darcy wasn’t sure that was any better.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of lunch somehow went ok, whether or not it was Darcys’ increasingly pleading looks to get Loki to shut up, or the kicking under the table, she seemed to behave herself. It was nice, maybe even fun at times, and Jane seemed to even appreciate Lokis’ dark sense of humour. Near the end of the meal, as Loki was laughing at something Jane had said, the weird tension from earlier gone and replaced with playful banter, Darcy was smiling like a lunatic. It was a stupid thing, and almost patronising, but seeing Loki _getting on_ with someone other than her. Actually seeming to connect with a human, of all people, made her feel so fucking happy. _See_ , she wanted to say, humans you aren’t fucking can be fun too. Instead, when Jane had gone off to the toilet she just turned and pressed a kiss into her collarbone. 

“What was that for?” Loki asked, bemused but with this adorable blush on her cheeks. Darcy shook her head, hid in in the crook of that long neck, smiling there until Jane came back. It might actually be ok. Darcy thought suddenly. Not the meal, that had gone fine enough, but them, the whole situation. The lab, the Bifrost, everything that was making her stressed and sick and keeping held back from the people she cared about. It might just work out. They paid for lunch and walked back to the tower, chatting until they reached Darcys’ floor. Loki said goodbye to Jane curteously, kissing Darcy on the head before leaving them in the hall to talk. _Manners_ , Darcy thought in surprise, watching the woman walk into her apartment. She was sort of buzzing, partly from the whisky Loki kept on offering her, but also because they had gotten away from it. It had been like normal life for a bit.

“You seem really happy, I don’t know why you hadn’t introduced her before.” Jane said, and Darcy shot her a look, because while Loki had been relatively well-behaved, and Jane wasn’t always the most socially aware, even she could tell when someone was a bit of an arsehole. 

“Yeah, she’s an angel.” Darcy said slyly, and Jane laughed.

“She’s sort of perfect for you.” Was that a compliment? “I’ve never actually seen you so happy with someone.” And Darcy had to duck her head to hide the flush on her cheeks. She pulled down the hem of her sleeves, covering her hands like she was back at school again. 

“Lo-. Lucy can be a dickhead. But she also isn’t sometimes.” It was disturbing, that that was the best way Darcy had of explaining her feelings towards Loki. Jane raised an eyebrow sceptically.

“How romantic.” She said with a laugh and Darcy rolled her eyes, tried to move on the conversation.

“Hows your project going?”

“Shit. Nothing’s getting done”. Darcy frowned at that, wondered what was holding them up.

“How come? All those notes Loki writes must be helping?” Jane snorted, giving Darcy side-eye like she must be joking.

“It’s Loki, by the time they get to me they’re scrambled in other languages and just recipes for soup when we translate them.” 

“What?” Darcy replied quietly, feeling a bit like the wind was knocked out of her.

“Yeah, and even then, when it doesn’t look like nonsense, it just sends us in circles, it doesn’t actually get us any closer to building a bridge of our own.” 

“But, I don’t-“ 

“Argh, enough work talk, it was so nice to see you Darcy.”

“Jane-“ She started, had to understand, hear more, because just then it sounded like Loki wasn’t helping at all, not really in anyway that mattered. Jane bought her forwards into a hug, cutting her off, and all Darcy could do was blink, because she wasn’t sure what was happening.

“I’ll see you soon. We really can’t wait as long next time.” Just like that Jane said goodbye, walking off and down the lift, not realising she had dropped a bomb on Darcys’ small little slice of happiness.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone thinking - whoa, this story got super fluffy and lovey-dovey, wheres all the fighting and heartbreak I signed up for with this ship? I got you, no worries.

* * *

 

 

 

“So Jane said the notes haven’t been helping. That they’re all nonsense, or just making things worse. ” The words poured out of her mouth in that uncontrollable way she’d tried to grow out of years before. Darcy was watching Loki draw on the board, they were in the lab and she had been wondering how to question him about it all morning. Once the clock had hit twelve it had been a split second decision to blurt out the question. It did not come out the way she hoped. The problem with Loki was he was too smart, that gorgeous man, brilliant and too stunning- he could turn her round and inside out if she didn’t keep her eyes on him the whole time. He was not someone you could be only slightly aware of if you were trying to catch him out. And she hated that this was what she was trying to do. She watched his hands pause in their work for a moment, cursed herself for not watching his face as she had spoken, before replying lightly:

“Well, humans you know, you can hardly expect them to understand difficult concepts like building bridges.” And maybe it could have been as simple as that, if she didn’t know him like she did, if she hadn’t got close enough to slide under his mask and see that small crack. Darcy wanted to drop it before it became a _thing_ but her next question was on her lips and this time she could already see the lie in his eyes.

“Why haven’t you been giving her any of the notes you’ve been making?” And he looked up at her then, at her words, needed to watch her face as much as she needed to watch his, before he could reply. There was almost fear in those green lights, and she noticed him panic for a moment before deliberately relaxing. His eyes changed, his whole body changed and she could see the way his brain was working.

“Darcy -“ He started, hands turned over, chalk down now, the whole of them telling her how he was trying to calm her. Trying to de-escalate the situation because it was already out of control. There was a sudden stabbing in her chest and she stepped away from him, from the way he was trying to work around it.

“Don’t. Why not?” Darcy wanted a straight answer from him, tried to plead with her eyes for him to be fucking honest because there was a jolt of something under her skin, and this time she knew it couldn’t be fixed with them fucking.

“Look it’s-“ 

“I can tell,” Her voice was shaking slightly, angry and low. “when you’re about to lie to me. So don’t.” She stared him out, saw the small bloom of a blush on his cheeks at being read so easily. He seemed to want to fight this point for a second, before he let out a frustrated breath through his nose. A hand cut through his hair before coming back to rest on the table next to him.

“It does not matter.” He said simply, and she really wanted to leave it at that. Take his words as face value and go back to how they were. But it was already this itch on her skin, and this scratch was not enough to satisfy when she could feel it down to her bones.

“Of course it matters. Thats the whole point of you being here.” Her jaw was tight after she spoke, body tense and she didn’t want to shout at him, to beg him, but she needed him to give her a fucking reasonable explanation that wasn’t going to break her heart.

“I think there is more to my life than providing her with information.” Loki deflected easily, voice lighter than it had any right to be.

“Your imprisonment then.” She corrected.“Tell me.” 

“Darcy.” He tried before her quiet, desperate order stopped him.

“Tell me.” His green eyes broke for a second, lips tight and her patience with him exploded. “You’ve never been giving her useful notes? All this time you just haven’t been helping her. Haven’t really been doing anything except the stuff I ask you to, and even then?” The air in her lungs was coming in too slowly, the drag of it not fast enough against the painful consumption. He didn’t reply, like a scolded child he just looked away and she willed the tears clinging to her eyelashes to stay put. “Loki.” 

“This is irrelevant.” He said and she shook her head.

“It isn’t. If you ever have any chance of working to get a way out of here or being released-“

“That is not the-“ He started, interrupting her, and suddenly both of them were trying to get control of the argument, to make sense of whatever they had found themselves in. 

“You don’t want to leave? To be somewhere else?”

“Assisting that woman-“

“You could end this by helping-“

“I will be leaving if I help that woman or not!”  His hands had flown up, slammed down on the table at the end of his statement. Darcy could have been slapped for the force of his words against her skin, her breath, her mind. 

“What? What? You’re leaving?”  She watched him, saw the moment he thought about lying before saying nothing. She was lucky, that the injustice of his work to Jane was keeping her swept up. Whatever pain there might have been at that statement, at him leaving _her_ , was trampled and pushed down by anger. “How? How?!” Her body was a wild thing, kept back from throwing herself at his by sheer will.

“I worked out how to break the enchantment.” Loki admitted, eyes downcast with - shame? Her understanding of his emotions was haphazard at the best of times.

“When?” She asked, and didn’t wait for an answer. “Fuck. You were never even going to help anyone were you? I’ve been helping you do this? Not even working for Jane, just you and your escape?”

“Darcy.”

“You’ve just been working for yourself.”

“Darcy.” His hands reached forward to touch her arm, a comfort that she knew would just be a distraction. Darcy took in a quick breath, felt it leave her body in shaky bursts as she moved her arm away.

“This means nothing to you? That this is a punishment? That you’re here trying to be better?” Her head was full of her own emotions, her pain, her fucking desperation at the situation. All she could do was fight back, shout back while the rest of her sat in a small corner in shock. “Making up for what you did. For the people you killed.”

“Humans have such small life spans, so many wars it will be forgotten.” And his face was almost calm, like this was reasonable. Like it was fucking justification.

“It won’t, not to the mothers, or the fathers.” Not to the ones who died,  she thought, and not to the ones who lived and had to carry on living either. Erik flashed into her mind, images of Thor wrecked by the damage Loki had done.

“That is not my problem, I am not the only one who has done wrong.” The arrogance of his words, the fact that he was _raised as a prince_ hit her like a ton of bricks.

“That doesn’t mean you get a free pass. You’re going to run from doing the right thing?”

“The right thing? When humans tear each other apart everyday for no reason at all? In the name of the government or religion they are pardoned but I am not? My imprisonment was never going to change what I did.”

“But you never even tried!” She shouted, panic in her chest because she didn’t really understand how this had all happened.

“I did not see the purpose.” Loki replied coldly, his voice sterile of all emotion and Darcy couldn’t comprehend it. Those tears on the edge of her eyes fell on her next blink, a gentle transfer that Loki followed with his eyes. 

“So humans mean nothing to you?” Darcy asked, though they both knew that wasn’t what she meant. Loki tried to reach for her again, body gentle suddenly.

“I care for you Darcy, do not doubt that.” His words were sincere, face pained at her own pain, and Darcy didn’t know how this man, with his feelings, and care could be hiding inside that cold monster.

“Other humans.” She said, her voice breaking because whatever comfort she found in his care for her was not enough.

“Are not you, you are different.” And she was already shaking her head.

“I’m really not. There are billions of people on this planet, you’re telling me no one else could make you feel like this?”  This was cracking her wide open to his green eyes again, except this time it didn’t even feel like it could lead to something good. She looked away and said the truth they both knew but had never said. “You’re only interested because you’re trapped here.” There was silence after she spoke, and she didn’t want to look up to see him pull his face together and lie.

“You are wrong.” He said, and he sounded almost angry, all pain and rage. “You are wrong Darcy, you cannot believe that.” She finally looked up to him, aware of her own faces’ blankness despite the tears leaving lines down her face.

“Thats not even the point. Humans are nothing to you.”

“Why does it matter what I think of them?” He was almost desperate, and he really didn’t understand. “I care for you.”

“It matters to me. You’ll just leave.” And she had to change her voice quickly, get back her anger because all she could hear was pain. “Not fix anything. Not even try to make up for what you did.”

“Darcy, I was never going to leave you. Come with me. We can go and-“

“What? Spend the rest of my short, worthless, miserable, human life together?” Bitterness was a step further away from pain so she embraced it with open arms.

“Darcy.” Loki said her name softly, pain scratched into his alien face, and she could see tears at the corner of his eyes. She shook her head, a sob suddenly pushing out from her chest as she covered her mouth. Darcy fell down onto the stool next to her, her body taken over by desperation as she tried to process what seemed to be happening.

“I thought you were…. better.” Darcy watched his face, the one that she had worked so hard to open up, close off in an instant at the words.

“That was your mistake.” He replied coldly, and she hated his words almost as much as the emptiness on his face. 

“Was it unfair of me? To expect more of you?” She was begging him, asking him to give her an explanation. To help her understand how this had all happened, because all she could feel was shock. “To want you to be better?” His hands were gripping the table, eyes staring down at them as he seemed to think about his answer.

“I never promised you anything.” Was she imagining the desperate edge in his voice, the fact that he might be in just as much shock as she was. Darcy held back a sob, placed her hand over her mouth to stop all the pain spilling out. Understood for the first time in her life, why they called it heart break.

 “I know.” She admitted.

“I never pretended I felt any different towards humans.” Loki said and Darcy instantly felt shamed by her own belief in him. Her idiot idea that he was something else.

“It was just me being blind then? I’m so stupid.”

“Darcy.” His head snapped up with the growl. Loki warned her with that word, told her not to put herself down with his eyes but she couldn’t see any other explanation.

“No! I am. I thought because you were so different with me-“ 

“That should be all that matters.” Loki tried again, and now she was crying, an almost constant current of tears that she had to blink through. She had to wait for her breath to even out before she could speak.

“No,” She shook her head and felt her face and words crumble. “it shouldn’t.” Loki was suddenly desperate, words rushing from his mouth. 

“My punishment-“

“Stop- please” Her words were so small against his painfully loud ones.

“It was ceremonial at best, a-“

“Stop.” She said again and this time he did.

“Come with me.” Loki pled, and all Darcy could do was shake her head. Disappointment. That was the feeling squeezing her chest and pouring tears from her eyes. Sat right there alongside the sorrow and anger and love. Disappointment, because she had believed he was a better man.

“Why are you like this?” She asked quietly, looking away from his face so she didn’t have to see it crumble at her words. “Please. Don’t be this person.” His hand tightened on the desk, and she imagined for a second that she could take it into hers. Pick it up and smooth out the fingers until they were calm, and he wasn’t the person they both knew he was. I think I love you, she thought, but really what could saying that change? Darcy stood up and grabbed her bag, as she turned and left him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Her eyes had found the clock when she arrived back at her apartment, just quarter past twelve. How was it that it took so little time to break something so important? This time she wasn’t numb. Darcy felt the loss like the air leaving her lungs. So her ability to make it back to her apartment was a surprise. That she could walk past the guards, wait in the elevator and finally arrive at her door without crumbling. In fact, the way she calmly opened her emergency wine, poured and drank a glass of the golden liquid before acknowledging her bodys’ desire to curl over itself, would have made her proud, if she could feel anything at all except pain.

And wasn’t it ridiculous? That him lying about Jane, the work for her, it wasn’t surprising. It fit in exactly with what she knew about him. Because he had been honest about most of it. She had just assumed what? That her love would change him? As if this was a romcom and they were meant to be together, forever, some weird but perfect love that could fix both their imperfections. That he could change who he was, without work or effort, peel off those layers of killer, monster and liar to reveal a whole, good man inside. Her own naiveté was a stab at the start of every breath. She had been so blinded by the side of him he was showing, maybe if he had’t been all those things - funny, kind, brilliant, maybe she wouldn’t have to feel like her soul was crushed by his revelation of being exactly who he always said he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. In my defence for this whole thing - I had that argument mapped out from the start, right next to their first fight, so blame past me. I've been writing that one scene on and off for a shitlong time, and I hope it comes off how I meant it (emotionally crippling). I know it's awful, and I could have just as easily let these two live in a fluffy ball of sunshine and orgasms and the rest, but the way I've written them it doesn't feel right to give them that when they obviously both have issues.
> 
> Darcy's been completely ignoring a part of him, choosing to love only the bit thats right in front of her and assuming the rest of him will just fit in with the idea of this kind person who loves and supports her, not that he can also be a monster at the same time. Theres a few more chapters left, and I would love to hear what you guys think, I practically feed off of all the views like a little attention vampire :D


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so pleased with the reaction to the last few chapters, it actually makes me so much happier to know people see it as a logical step in there relationship and not just pain porn. Anyways, thank you as always for all the reads, kudos and comments, and I love hearing what you guys think of it. Theres only three chapters left, and I hope I can manage to round off the story. This is a short(ish) one, and that is only partially because I wanted to end the fic on an even number ;)

* * *

 

 

 

Darcy had never looked at him, and seen a hero. Seen someone who would swoop in, easy breezy and effortlessly save people from bad guys, terrorists or themselves. She hadn’t even seen a good person.  She had just seen Loki - the way he snapped and clawed at the world, but also the way he sat, quietly reading a book she had recommended to him. Maybe if she had seen more of the murderer, the alien, the prince, Darcy could shake the whole thing off. Yeah - he was trying to escape. Of course he was, what did she expect, who liked prison? Okay - he didn’t feel any remorse. Is that any surprise given the way he tore through peoples’ brains, saw the deepest part of human emotion, lived in it and still didn’t stop? And yes - he wasn’t ever going to help Jane. But why would he when that work seemed like nothing more than a hobby to him?

But Darcy couldn’t shake it off. She felt betrayed by the idea of who he was. By Thor, and his words and promises of some fictional better brother. By herself, for being fooled by his gentle smiles and fact he kept food for her in a drawer by the side of the bed.

And by Loki, for helping her fall in love.  

Because it had to be love - that thing that kept him buried in her skin, cuts from claws gripping tight, even as something was fighting to pull him out. It could be nothing else, because Darcy had never felt anything this painful that didn’t bleed. Before, when people had disappointed her, it had felt like letting out a long held in breath. As if part of her had been expecting it all along, and when she was finally let down, it was just another confirmation of what she always knew. 

Not this time. This time it was still surprising her, hours later, as she lay curled up in bed and tried not to lose herself in the open wound that was her heart. 

It came in phases. Her anger, her pain, her desperation that the thing happened at all. She couldn’t stop playing it over in her head, all the awful words and truth. Lokis’ face, his hurt at the realisation that they were not what the other thought. That he thought she knew him, that she didn’t at all. Darcy was so many things, but then, laying on that bed, her _loss_ filled her up. Just months before, she would have laughed at the idea that someone could leave her so broken. For so long, emotional intimacy was a thing she avoided, and some small part of her was saying - you see? This is why we don’t love.

She let out a breath, had been actively keeping them even for half an hour now, some desperate attempt at control in this uncontrollable thing. Her mind was spinning, and she wanted to sleep, to eat, to do something, but her eyes were sore and every time she closed them all she felt was trapped. 

There was a knocking sound, a brief tap on the door before a woosh of air, and suddenly Loki was in her bedroom. She wasn’t surprised, knew him well enough that a few hours alone would have been like torture with things left as they were. He couldn’t stay away, and she couldn’t have him near. Darcy couldn’t bear to look at his face and feel something other than love, but those words had poisoned her mind, and so she kept her view low, she looked at his hands instead, his legs, his arms, the tight body that seemed wrecked with wanting to do something and yet unable to move. It looked like anger set into his bones, and when her eyes finally raised to his, they were fixed on the floor. Maybe frustrated was the better word. His eyes were red at the edges, and she could see the tight way his jaw was clamped. It was so like him to get angry when he couldn’t fix something. It was a few moments before he could open his mouth and get the words out.

“I miss you.” They were said to his bare feet, and Darcy had to look away, hide her face in her pillow because she didn’t have enough tears left to watch him fall apart too. Her breath was shaky when she spoke. 

“Please leave” She begged, and he finally looked up, trying to search in her eyes if that was what she really wanted. Darcy wasn’t sure either, suddenly standing up in a rush from the bed to what - hit him? Hold him? She didn’t know. Instead they were both looking at each other with these desperate, painful eyes and everything felt wrong.

“I should have lied better.” He admitted quietly, and for a moment Darcy could hardly believe he’d said it. Was just staring at him in shock, because the bluntness of that statement was almost cleansing.

“I wish you had.” Her own words surprised her. This honesty catching and hitting them both in the chest. She should have been ashamed at her own weakness, the fact that if he had told her smoother, differently, maybe she could have half believed him and buried the rest away. He hadn’t, though, and now he was there, try to fix things. But what did he expect from this? Everything that could be said had been. There was no way to talk around it, to weave it into a better situation but she knew that was exactly what he was going to try to do. 

“Loki. Please. Just leave.” She got out, feeling watery and weak. Loki had this strangely determined look triggered by her words, as if he could prove that with a few sentences all of their fundamental differences could be fixed. “It hurts.” Darcy said quietly, and his face changed, broke a little bit as her voice cracked.

Loki walked forward to stand in front of her, folding his body around hers to bury his head in her hair. He felt her stifled sob, the hard choke against his chest, before her arms slid around his waist to hold him tight for too short a time. Hands fisted in his shirt, and for a moment he wondered if she was pulling him closer or pushing him away. If she even knew herself. Darcy pushed against him, shaking her head and stretching her arms, not able to look at his face and the pain there. He caught her hand and Darcy froze, looking at the way their fingers lay together.

“Please. One more minute.” He asked, fingers loose enough to pull away. Darcy looked up to his face, tracing the long line of his body, and saw the need there. The way he was in as much pain as she was. That whatever damage she had received, he had been hit just as hard and she found herself unable to deny him. Darcy stepped closer and felt him sink into her, covering her body with his. It was like being protected, sheltered by him and the press of his chest against hers. Even though the only people they needed protecting from was each other. It was hard to explain the way she fell into him, the massive comfort it gave her to press her wet face against the fabric of his shirt. A hand was smoothing over her back, lips murmuring into her hair, and it was difficult to give up, to finally push away from him and wipe her eyes, but she managed. Stepping back, Darcy didn’t look at his face, just saw the aborted movement of his hand towards her before it clamped to his side. 

“Give me some space. Some time. Let me come to you.” Her voice was husky from crying, and she was outside of herself, painfully distant from her body and the situation.

“Don’t run.” He said, the words closing up her throat, because she didn’t know she was that transparent. That he could see that instinct inside her as if she had said it out loud.

“I just need some time.” She mumbled, the carpet waving like the sea, for some reason as she stared at it.

“Darcy.” His voice, gentle, pleading, hurt, had never been applied to her name that way. She finally looked up again at him, the burning on his face, and tried to comfort him. 

“I’ll be here. I won’t run. I promise, I won’t run.” He watched her for a long moment, searching for the honesty in her words before nodding once, a few times, seeming to let out a breath.

“Thank you.” He said, and Darcy turned her head away from him, her body following and her ears strained for a long seconds, until there was a woosh, and he dissappeared. He was gone, and she was left alone in her bedroom, her head full of whispers and pain. I know where to find you, she had thought about saying, it’s not like you’re going anywhere. A week ago she could have said that, maybe even with a wry smile, except, of course, this time she knew better. That thought, that he might just disappear on her, could run and never come back made the air too thin. Made each of her gasps greedy and painful, desperate in a way she hated. She had to sit back on the bed, let her sore eyes drift down to the bedspread and trace the pattern. It was an impossible situation. They couldn’t carry on as before, as if she hadn’t learnt something new and unforgivable about him. Laying on that bed, wrapping herself in layers of soft things, Darcy wished she hadn’t sent him away. Wished he would come back into her room, wrap her up and tell her that everything would be ok. That somehow, despite this horrible, twisted view of humanity and violence, he would find a way to show her he could change. Another sob fell out at the thought, a hiccup that seemed to keep on happening to her, bubbles of air that popped whenever her mind drifted for even a moment.

The part that worried her, scared her when she realised it, was that she was still in love. There was an anger at him yes, for lying to her, fucking up the easy and passionate thing they had, but also there was something like acceptance. That Loki really was like that, he really did think and feel horrible things about humans, about people. That the same hand and mind that could protect and comfort her, could also willingly, maybe even happily hurt too. So what did it say about her, that she couldn’t just go? That she didn’t run, had actually told him she would stay, tried to comfort him because he was hurting?

If only it had wiped away the love. If his words had been strong enough, they could have erased every bit of emotion she had left for him, left her clean and fresh and free to leave without feeling like she was abandoning a part of herself. But this part of him she hated, that scared her and left her numb, was sitting right next to everything she loved, too close to be separated easily.

She wanted to call someone, wished she had made more of an effort to keep friends from college, from anything because she felt so alone in that room, and the only person she really wanted to talk to, was the cause of all the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, and the one after that there will be a much clearer description of what Lokis' feeling, but I wanted to keep it deliberately one sided now to sort of try and work out how Darcy was gonna deal with it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was reading over this, and I’m actually sort of pleased with what I’ve done. I’m also hating myself for the set up because I forgot how much I got invested in these two little shit heads and what happens to them. As always, I appreciate everything you guys do, and I'll try to post the final chapter this week or the next.

* * *

 

 

It had been three days. Three days of no work, no Loki, constant pressure on her mind that wouldn’t rest. Sleep was painful, being awake was worse and so Darcy was constantly on edge, afraid of making a decision one way or the other. She thought about leaving often, figuring that her contract was mainly a formality, if she really wanted to leave Coulson wouldn’t argue, hadn’t really expected her to last the week. Her debt, the college debt, that would stay with her, only being wiped at the end of the contract, but it these were all small details. Small things that didn’t really impact her decision. It was more a case of what would kill her, and what she could survive.

If she stayed she would what? Have to accept how he was? Or have to admit to someone else the nature of their relationship and how blind she had been to him. Ask for help because Darcy didn’t know how to deal with it on her own. If for some bizarre reason he could understand how terrible his view was, she didn’t know how to change it, if that was even possible. 

Darcy had spent the days trying to distract herself with Netflix, and food, and too much wine. Nothing was working. The problem with relationships was that they took away all other coping mechanisms. He was the thing that she wanted. Loki was the thing that could help her deal with it, she had become so dependent on him that to be without felt like missing a step. The door rang, and Darcy considered not getting it, ignoring it like the phone calls from Coulson, but at least if she was getting shouted at she wasn’t thinking. Shuffling to the door, still in her pyjamas at 3 in the afternoon, she opened it to a worried Jane.

“Darcy, you haven’t been in to work in three days.” Her eyes had widen at the state Darcy was in, not that she had ever been high on the personal hygiene chart herself. 

“Yep.” Such a small word, and all she could say, looking at the floor, and anywhere but her face.

“I’m worried about you.” The voice said, and Darcy was curled over slightly, lifted her head with a fake smile and tried to breathe warmth into her words.

“I’m fine.” It came out flat and dry, separate from her body and feelings, and Jane must have recognised this, even if she had never seen Darcy this way before. 

“Darcy.” She said simply, voice full of empathy, concern, understanding, because she had known heartbreak well enough to understand it on other faces. “Lucy?” And Darcy laughed humourlessly, a moment of hysteria before she was crying. Suddenly she needed to tell her, needed to say it all because even if there was judgement, shouting, anything, those words were festering in her chest, growing dark and clinging to her so tight they needed to be freed before they became stuck forever. 

“Loki. It's Loki.” She started, and then she was unable to stop. Darcy told her, spilled out the whole story along with tears and gasps and pain, and Jane just listened. Didn’t ask any questions, even though she was obviously in shock, just led Darcy inside while she talked. Wrapped her in a blanket, watching her, analysing her with that brilliantly smart mind. When Darcy had stumbled out the end, the argument, and finally let the room fall silent, she was so open and unguarded. Felt almost like she had sacrificed herself to someone, Jane the genius, with strong morals and unshakable beliefs. Jane the scientist, who would see all of the flaws, all of the stupidity in Darcy believing something based on no evidence. So she didn’t expect her to leap forwards and hug her, squeezing her so tight air left her in a high pitched gasp.

“I’m so sorry.” Jane said, the sound of tears in her own voice. And how had Darcy forgotten about Jane the friend? “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.” Darcy was crying into her shoulder, because she hadn’t ever expected this. “It’ll be ok Darcy. It’ll be ok.” Something in her relaxed at her voice, allowed herself to be taken care of, that helps feeling she’d had since the fight suddenly lifted and it was like she had been a child with a splinter driven into her thumb- numb and bleeding, not sure how to react without the eyes of someone else on her, and an adult had come along to help her, to guide her out of this situation and make things better. Jane pulled back, and Darcy would have never called the woman maternal, but she was making Darcy feel _safe_ , and whole and loved, and she didn’t know how to thank her for it.

“He was Lucy?” She asked, still holding her hand, and Darcy nodded, pushing back memories of that one, beautiful, perfect day. “How long?”

“Months.” She replied, and then looked down as her face crumbled. “I’m so stupid.”

“No, Darcy.”

“I just believed all of Thors’ good intentions. Loki didn’t even have to lie to me I was doing it for him. I love him Jane. I fucking love him and he’s a monster.” The strangeness of confessing all this to Jane, Jane who she had been avoiding for months in case of this very thing, was wearing off as the pain returned.

“He hasn’t hurt anyone since you’ve worked with him.” Jane said, almost encouraging, as if that was meant to be a comfort. That he hadn’t killed, maimed or destroyed anyone recently, like it could wipe away the thoughts in his head.

“He’s been in prison Jane. He hasn’t had the chance.” She pointed out, trying to keep her tone even. It was a thought she had days before, desperate attempts to mitigate his beliefs with his behaviour. Jane was following the same paths, her brain trying to come up with a solution, an explanation to the problem, unable to accept like Darcy was having to, that there wasn't one. She was breathing quick suddenly, light dizzy breaths and she had to get angry again, because sorrow wasn’t a solution.

“He was never different.” She started, ranting suddenly. “He had never changed. He’s always going to be that person. He won’t ever be better.”

“Maybe he can be.” Jane said quietly, and Darcy looked to her in disbelief. Out of anyone she expected to be on Lokis’ side, Jane was not one of them.

“What?”

“Maybe he can change, if you ask him.” And Darcy couldn’t reply, didn’t know what to say to the sincerity and hope on Janes face. As if she could just ask him. Try and change the things that made Loki Loki. For a moment, she understood exactly how Jane had fallen in love in a few days, despite the science that filled her mind and heart. Because if she really believed you could change someone, change every bad impulse, thought and action just by asking, then she had more faith in love than Darcy ever could. “I saw the way she- he- whatever. Loki, looked at you.” Darcy shook her head bitterly.

“He was pretending to be another person Jane. That day he was someone else.”

“Loki cares about you.” This Darcy couldn’t deny, but care was a subjective thing.

“So.”

“He wouldn’t have stayed this whole time. If he could really leave before now.” 

“If theres anything keeping him here it’s not me.” Darcy knew this like her own name, whatever affection he had for her, it would never be enough to stop him doing what he wanted.

“What else is there?”

“Not me. I’m just a distraction. Something he’ll get bored with.” Jane shook her head in reply, and Darcy felt a flash of irritation, because how could this woman think she knew him? When Darcy, who had spent days, months, hours with him didn’t?

“If you asked him to-“ Jane started, and Darcys anger was quick, the source not Jane but that stupid part that wanted to believe her.

“What? To stop being who he is? This isn’t a fucking fairytale Jane! I’m not going to be able to fix him by _asking_. I cannot change him. He is, and has always been himself. The only person who will change that is him.”

“But if you asked him-“

“Jane.” Darcy started, and her hands were shaking. Balls of fury made her palms clench, and she was struggling with words, her anger was that engulfing. “I can’t.” That was all she could manage, had a sea of words behind her closed lips but getting them out was an impossibility when each one would cost her. 

“Ok.” She said eyes wide. “Ok.” She watched Darcy for a second, and maybe she could see what a thin thread she was gripping to. Jane looked away, then back again her face pulling together some poor attempt at a smile. “Lets watch a film, eat some pizza and a shitload of ice cream.” Darcy smiled, relieved for the distraction, nodded in agreement and sat numbly on that sofa while Jane tried to help her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Darcy sat on the edge of her bed, hours after Jane had left, still awake at a stupid fucking time. She had pushed Jane out the door, pretended she was ok, or coping at least so she could have the house to herself when she broke down again. She needed to think, decide and actually sort out her mind, because this stupid limbo wasn’t fair. And she felt guilty, guilty that Loki would be waiting in the lab for her, kept away by her own will, stuck in that place. _Except he’s not stuck really is he?_ Part of her asked, and Darcy hated these thoughts, the ones that had become more frequent, that he could be gone already, the their whole _friendship_ or whatever, could have been a lie. If she had gotten that aspect of him so wrong, whose to say she knew anything about him at all? Who could say if he even, really cared. 

But she thought she knew him, knew what drove him and what kept him and Darcy was not either of those things. So Janes’ suggestion to ask him, beg him, plead with him to try and change. To try and make up for what he’d done, stay in that place, submit fully to that her desire that he be _better_ , it was too much. Asking him, that would be the easy part. It would be watching his face as he refused, as he finally looked at her plainly, how he truly felt. Not a mirror of her feelings, not love and hope and care reflected back, but  _less_. Like she was a stupid human asking him for something he would never give, that was the part that would destroy her.  She had seen so many things in his eyes, care, humour, affection. Other things when they were fighting, anger and confusion, all things she could deal with. Even at the start, he had looked at her like she was less, with scorn and disbelief, and she had handled it. Now though, she wasn’t strong enough, she was weakened by her love for him, so his rejection would be personal. It would be intimate, and all the more devastating for it. He knew her now, knew her soft spots and the things he had uncovered would mean anything he said she believed. One word could unwrite whole parts of her soul, and it was her fault because she had happily left herself open. Darcy was a coward, because she didn’t want to see herself through his eyes, and realise she wasn’t worth it. Loki didn’t change for anyone, didn’t do anything he didn’t want to. So why would her asking make a difference?

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Pieces of the cup scratched against the floor, crumbs and sprinkles of material, from where Loki had crushed it months before. He picked up the bag, poured broken pieces from his palm. He felt absorbed in the task, completely focussed on cleaning up the terrible mess he had made. It had been an impulsive thing, his relentless pacing in the lab doing nothing but wearing holes into the floor, so when his eye had snagged on the cup, it was a second later until he was wiping it up. Images of her face, her words flashed in his mind and he needed to be busy, to work on something and remove his mind from the endless loop it was trapped in. He just knew he needed to clean it up, this evidence of their first fight in the lab, her first day working for him. For so long he had teased her, pretended it was her doing, so maybe if she saw it…. The thought trailed off and Loki tried not to chase it. He got a cloth, wiping up the dried brown liquid that he’d had to enchant so it didn’t mould. It was a stupid thought, one that he couldn’t even finish properly. It was testament to how desperate he was, how out of control he felt that he thought this might help somehow. Finally finishing up the cleaning, by hand and not magic, because that would mean more to her, he rocked back off of his knees to lean back against the leg of the desk. 

He closed his eyes and waited, body tight with anticipation, hoping that it could just be enough for her to see this small thing he’d done. He understood it was ridiculous, that him cleaning could somehow erase all the damage his words had done. But the whole situation had gotten so out of hand, and maybe if she saw this small thing, she could see the rest of him too. Could understand that his form wasn’t as rigid as she thought. 


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I started this, I had never really given much thought to things like ‘plot’ or ‘story direction’ and pretty much just knew I had these characters in my head, arguing with each other and then fucking. I’ve learnt a lot, and I hope that this ending, even though it isn’t easy or simple or kind, is satisfying in terms of the characters and the story they’ve taken. I hope (hides permanently under pillow fort). I’m not 100% happy with this, but maybe it’ll always be like that with endings. I might have to come back and add more to it, but as it stands, here it is.

* * *

 

 

The door opened, and Lokis’ head shot up, a flash of brown hair all that was required to send his heart pounding. In a moment he was standing, intent but nervous, too much energy to be contained in his body. And then, he saw it wasn’t Darcy at all. It was Dr.Foster, anxiously facing him, a ridiculous band on her wrist some foolish security measure. Loki felt his face wiped clean of all his emotions, all that pain and sadness, the disappointment of her not being Darcy carefully packaged away and stored. He felt stiff, his body rigid, and had it really been that long since he’d worn this mask?

“Dr. Foster.” He said politely, searching her face for signs of why she was there and not Darcy. Jane stepped forward, feet treading onto the place broken china once lay. Loki blinked as they filled it, the lack of crunch, just a clear sound as they felll on solid floor and nothing else. Where was Darcy, that sound was for her, and all his dreams of her reaction, her _approval_ were snatched from his mind.

“Loki.”  Jane said, and his eyes flicked to her, searching her body, her face. “I’m here because.” Jane started, stopped, allowed that sentence to hang in the air on it’s own and his body fell, even as it remained standing, because he realised it couldn’t be good news. The doctor looked down, spoke to her feet before looking up into his eyes. “She’s left.” There was pity in them, an unexpected emotion that he would have been furious with, but he could only stare at her for a long moment before sending a double up to Darcys apartment.

He arrived on a chair, breaking it under his weight, and at another time he would be irritated with his lack of self control. Her bedroom was bare, photos from the wall taken, wardrobe doors hanging limply open and her bed stripped bare. Loki was frozen, frantic, then frozen again. A blur as he ripped through her rooms, shedding light on the empty spaces her things once filled, and she had been thorough at least. Her kitchen was clinical, void of her and everything she owned so when he thought he heard a noise from the bathroom, that his answering call would be her name was insane.

“Darcy.” He said to the empty room, voice unrecognisable, lost and unsure. Loki walked forward, eyes scanning for a note, for a sign, for something that said: _I’ll be back, wait, I need a small amount of time. I've left for a minute but please don’t worry, I love you, you know this and I wouldn't do this terrible thing to you. This is not what you think so please stop the pain in your heart and eyes, I'll be back, and we can fix this mess together._

But there was no note, there was nothing at all. 

There was a wailing in his head, a panic that drew his breath in through his nose, and his eyes were skittering, snagging on small things of no importance in the room. 

 _She promised_. A voice said, small and young, and weak in his mind. It was confused, and in terrible pain, but Loki didn’t have the words to comfort it, had never been able to soothe himself when anger was a white heat that burnt away everything else. He wondered idly when she had left. A day, three? It had been a week since he’d seen her. And now what? He just wouldn’t again?

It was impossible. There must be a mistake, he thought, and then instantly after - _what mistake you fool?_ Loki saw the room through anothers’ eyes for a moment. She had gone, as cleanly and quickly as a knife, driven into the skin and out again. No way of contacting her, no sign he should, or even try to. This wasn’t a game he played as a child, filled with clues and riddles, some sort of reunion at the end of the puzzle. It was abandonment, fleeing, a rejection of the most personal and devastating kind. 

He saw dark staines on his shirt, lifted it up to run his fingers over and find that those circles and lines dragging down the fabric were in fact tears. Loki frowned, bought his hand up to his face to trace the liquid there before drawing back and looking at his wet fingertips. There was a madness, creeping into the edges of his body and mind, a frantic pace to his heart and Loki couldn’t cope with it. He needed to scream, to run, to chase her down and ask her why this was happening. Instead, in a move so rapid he wondered if it came from him or another place, he hit himself, hard across the face. It drove out some of the panic, some of the sorrow that threatened to smother him completely, and instead allowed him to focus on the pain, the fury, maybe the only things left that were keeping him from destroying himself, the building, the world.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Leave.” Loki said, when he returned to his body in the lab, cutting off that prattling midgardian mid-sentence.  She seemed taken aback, afraid at his voice, his suddenly changed posture, something, so that when she started speaking again, her face was pale and her words were almost desperate.

“If you stay, showed you could change she might come-“ Loki slammed his hand down on the desk next to him, smashing the hard wood, and grabbing the side of it. The stupid woman froze, opened her mouth to say something else and Loki picked up the desk one handed and threw it to the side of her. It smashed against the wall, wood flying and whatever hope she had seemed eliminated from her face as she let out a scream of fear, and sprinted from the room. She was forgotten as soon as she ran, and suddenly Loki was pacing. Thinking and trying not to at the same time.

He felt almost outside of himself. She had left. Darcy had left him. Gone, wherever she liked. Broken her promise to stay, to try, and had run. As always. He should not have been surprised. It was her pattern from the beginning, to leave when things became challenging or emotional. Loki had pulled her back each time. Waited for her, refused to let her run from what they had, with words and actions and everything he could. But why? What was the purpose? Why was this one person worth so much to him?  When he was obviously nothing to her. She had looked at him, and decided there was nothing to salvage from the wreck they had made together. 

After everything, she had still run. He felt a sweeping anger again, and had to cling to the desk for fear he fell over. _If you stay, show you could change,_ that woman had said, and those words blinded him. Because Darcy had not changed at all, so why should he?

She had done what everyone else had - abandoned him. Seen the heart of him and decided it wasn’t good enough. Had said as much, asked him why he wasn’t better, and it echoed his childhood. Echoed his father, every person who told him magic was a feminine art, mocked him for his lack of fighting ability, lack of charm, lack of asgardian blood. She, the person he had come to trust so implicitly, give over himself to for protection and care, she had cut him so easily. Somehow, in the fight, he hadn’t felt angry just numb, because her pain was enough to take away his focus from himself. He just wanted to make her feel better, comfort her, even though he was the source, because in that moment she was really all that mattered. 

He had been confused by it, thrown by her apparent misunderstanding of who he was. He had never hidden anything, had actively joked about his views, so how his feelings were a shock to her was beyond him. And the fight had been so unlike any other they had, so tense but in a way where one wrong word could ruin everything. And it had. Somehow, instead of it being fixed when he saw her again, coming to her in the night, it had made it worse. She had made him promise to stay away, to keep in the lab like a mutt ordered outside by its’ master and then forgotten. He had started to change his actions, his efforts, even stayed in that prison for a midgardian. And why? What reason? Love? Emotion? Foolish things that now made him feel like breathing was a talent that had been stolen from him.

But he understood now. Understood that the midgardian hadn’t ever really wanted him, had been swept up in the idea of him that she forgot to see what was in front of her. Or worse, once she had realised who he really was, she hadn’t seen anything worth trying for. That thought again crippled him, drew moisture from his eyes and how could this still hurt? He had thought pain was a thing he grew out of years ago. There had been an insistent banging on the doors for a while now, and Loki was using just a small amount of magic to keep whoever wanted to come in out. Because of course Darcy would have told them he was going to leave, and they would be trying to stop him. But why? If she really saw nothing good in him, what in Hel did his presence achieve?

He truly had nothing to stay for. That midgardian had made it clear, and he would be a fool to wait for someone who obviously cared for him so little. But his footsteps could take him to her. She would be easy to track, he knew her well enough that it would not take long to hunt her, if he desired. But he didn’t know what he would do when he found her, and uncertainty was a dangerous thing. He might end up doing something terrible. Pleading, changing, begging. This weakness she had nurtured inside of him could not be allowed, and seeing her, he could not be strong.

She had gone. And he was expected to stay in that cage for her. This woman who betrayed him, who believed a falsehood he hadn’t even told her. He was Prince Loki of Asgard. A God. A creature above those on the planet he was trapped on. Who was she to tell him how to live? When he had spent centuries doing as he liked, how could she possibly decide it was wrong? It was absurd that she thought she could judge him, ever more insane that he felt that judgement down to his bones. He was beyond anything on this world, and she was nothing but another human.

It was that thought that gathered up his magic. That thought that coiled power into his body, sizzling his hands and burning the moisture from his eyes. And it was that thought that with a crackle, carried him off and away from Midgard.

 

 

* * *

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess that’s the end.  
> I might do a sequel, in fact already have like ten scenes in my head, but I don’t really have any idea how to go about it. It feels so big and scary, the theme of redemption, as if you ever could really could make up for all those atrocities, the murder, mind control and destruction Loki did so effortlessly. But I will probably write it anyway, because this fic is pretty difficult to leave and I want them both to be happy, even if it’s not with each other. Anyway, if I don’t write it, here’s two endings for both sides of the camp
> 
> For the optimists - Loki doesn’t leave to travel, to run, he actually ends up right outside wherever Darcy is. He drops to his knees, recounts all of his sins and asks her for help to be a better person. She, obviously madly and terribly in love, says yes, and they spend the rest of her days changing him, holding him into a gorgeous, cocky, fun filled humanitarian. They save the world, and each other from all the scary things in the dark, all the while sharing cookies, and hugs, and wild sex.
> 
> For the pessimists - Loki is incapable of change. He never even attempts it, in fact this whole situation fuels his hatred of humans. Years later he returns with another army, and starting with the sleepy suburb that Darcy lives in with her wife and three kids, systematically destroys human civilisation. He dies, hundreds of years later, the same person he has always been, and whole worlds cheer that day.
> 
> If I write another, it will probably be somewhere in between, a complicated, adult relationship with bad decisions and constant mistakes because I try to be honest in the stuff that I write. Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who read a word, left kudos and a hundred years of love to the commentors, because you not only kept me going but also showed me whole new perspectives on this thing I was writing. Thank you, it means a lot anyone even clicked to begin with. GHS xx


End file.
